This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40089402
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
Iraq conflict: Baghdad ice cream parlour hit by suicide attack | Iraq conflict: Baghdad ice cream parlour hit by suicide attack |
(35 minutes later) | |
Two car bomb attacks in the heart of the Iraqi capital Baghdad by so-called Islamic State have killed at least 26 people and wounded dozens, sources say. | |
The first happened just after midnight (21:00 GMT on Monday) at an ice cream shop in the Karrada district, where a crowd had broken their Ramadan fasts. | |
A few hours later there was a second blast near the Shuhada Bridge, about 6km (4 miles) to the north in Shawaka. | |
IS said both bombings had targeted "gatherings" of Shia Muslims. | |
The Sunni jihadist group considers them apostates subject to punishment by death. | |
During Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn until sunset, many Baghdad residents stay up late and eat out at restaurants and cafes. | |
Dozens of people were reportedly sitting on benches outside the popular al-Faqma ice cream parlour in Karrada, a predominantly Shia commercial area, when a car parked on the street nearby exploded. | Dozens of people were reportedly sitting on benches outside the popular al-Faqma ice cream parlour in Karrada, a predominantly Shia commercial area, when a car parked on the street nearby exploded. |
A video posted on social media showed a dazed young girl wandering around in the aftermath of the blast as a man screamed for help, while photos showed ice cream cups scattered on the bloodstained pavement. | |
Health ministry sources told the BBC that 15 people were killed and 60 wounded. | Health ministry sources told the BBC that 15 people were killed and 60 wounded. |
The US envoy to the multinational coalition against IS, Brett McGurk, condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Iraq. | The US envoy to the multinational coalition against IS, Brett McGurk, condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Iraq. |
"[IS] terrorists tonight in Baghdad target children & families enjoying time together at an ice cream shop. We stand w/Iraq against this evil," he wrote on Twitter. | "[IS] terrorists tonight in Baghdad target children & families enjoying time together at an ice cream shop. We stand w/Iraq against this evil," he wrote on Twitter. |
In Tuesday's second attack, a car bomb was detonated during the morning rush hour near the headquarters of the government's pensions directorate on Shuhada Square, next to Shuhada Bridge, officials said. | |
An interior ministry source said 11 people were killed and 35 wounded. | |
Ramadan, which began on Saturday, is often marked by increased violence in Iraq. | Ramadan, which began on Saturday, is often marked by increased violence in Iraq. |
Last July, at least 324 people were killed in a truck bomb attack on a shopping centre in Karrada, where families were buying new clothes for Eid al-Fitr. | Last July, at least 324 people were killed in a truck bomb attack on a shopping centre in Karrada, where families were buying new clothes for Eid al-Fitr. |
IS said it was behind the bombing, the deadliest single incident in Baghdad since the US-led invasion in 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein. | IS said it was behind the bombing, the deadliest single incident in Baghdad since the US-led invasion in 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein. |
Tuesday's attacks come as Iraqi security forces continue an offensive to recapture the northern city of Mosul, the last major IS urban stronghold in the country. | Tuesday's attacks come as Iraqi security forces continue an offensive to recapture the northern city of Mosul, the last major IS urban stronghold in the country. |