Iraq suffers deadliest day in three months
January 12, 2016
The bombings and attacks on Monday left the biggest death toll in three months. Without naming IS, Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan blamed "this terrorist group after they suffered heavy losses by the security forces."
"The security forces are at the scene and managed to recover the wounded," Maan said. "The situation is under control." IS claimed responsibility for the attack at the Baghdad mall which it said had targeted a gathering of "rejectionists." That is the term the group uses for Shiite Muslims.
Two more bombs went off in the eastern town of Muqdadiya killing at least 20 people and wounding 50 more.
Seven more people, including two policemen, were killed when another bomb went off in a Baghdad suburb. The car bomb blast went off in the predominately Shi'ite district of Baghdad Jadida, according to police and medical sources.
Attacks follow Ramadi operation
The latest attacks follow the Iraqi government's successful liberation of Ramadi last month. Sunni militants had held the strategic city since the summer of 2014.
The IS militants still control large areas of northern and western Iraq.
Earlier on Monday, three people were killed and eight others wounded when a car bomb went off near a restaurant in Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad.
Security officials said they had imposed a curfew on all of Diyala province, where Muqdadiya and Baquba are located.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks in Muqdadiya and the Baghdad suburb.
bik/jm (AP, Reuters)