Islamic State has claimed responsibility for two suicide bombers who attacked a market in Iraq’s capital Thursday, killing at least 32 people and wounding 110 others.
The bombings hit central Baghdad’s Bab al-Sharqi commercial area that had suffered a similar attack in January 2018, leaving 27 people dead.
"One [bomber] came, fell to the ground and started complaining, 'My stomach is hurting.' And he pressed the detonator in his hand. It exploded immediately. People were torn to pieces," a street vendor who would not give his name told Reuters.
Such attacks were once nearly a daily occurrence in the Iraqi capital, but they had become rare in Baghdad following the 2017 defeat of Islamic State.
"Daesh terrorist groups might be standing behind the attacks," civil defense chief Major General Kadhim Salman told reporters, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with top security commanders after the attacks, the premier's office said in a brief statement.
President Barham Salih condemned the attack, saying Iraq stands against attempts to destabilize the country.
Colonel Wayne Marotto, a spokesperson for the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, tweeted that the attack was “yet another instance of terrorists killing fellow Iraqis & harms those who seek peace.”
