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Death toll rises to 125 following suicide bombing in Baghdad

Updated: 21.20 An Islamic State suicide bomber has killed at least 125 people in a busy shop...
Newstalk
Newstalk

08.46 3 Jul 2016


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Death toll rises to 125 follow...

Death toll rises to 125 following suicide bombing in Baghdad

Newstalk
Newstalk

08.46 3 Jul 2016


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Updated: 21.20

An Islamic State suicide bomber has killed at least 125 people in a busy shopping area in Baghdad, officials have said.

Up to 180 people were wounded in the attack in the central Karrada district of the Iraqi capital on Sunday morning.

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The bombing is the deadliest single attack in Baghdad this year.

The suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden truck to the area around midnight as families and young people were out on the streets after breaking their Ramadan fast.

Fifteen children were among the dead, officials said.

Most of the victims were inside a multi-storey shopping and amusement centre.

Islamic State claimed responsibility in an online statement, saying they had deliberately targeted Shia Muslims. The statement could not be independently verified.

"It was like an earthquake," said witness Karim Sami, a 35-year-old street vendor. "I wrapped up my goods and was heading home when I saw a fire ball with a thunderous bombing.

Iraq's prime minister visited the site hours after the bombing. An angry crowd yelled at Haider al Abadi, pelted stones at him and called him a "thief".

A second bombing also struck eastern Baghdad in a predominantly Shia area on Sunday morning. It killed five people and wounded another 16.

No group claimed responsibility for the second attack, but it bore the hallmarks of IS militants. 

The Baghdad bombings come after Iraqi forces retook Fallujah, around 40 miles west of Baghdad, from IS - a breakthrough in an offensive against the extremists.

At the height of Islamic State's power two years ago, the militant group controlled nearly a third of the country.

Now, the militants are estimated to control only 14% of Iraqi territory, according to Iraq's PM.


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