Suicide Bomber Kills at least 12 in north Baghdad

Suicide Bomber Kills at least 12 in north Baghdad
Mon Feb 9, 2015 10:16:34

A suicide bomber struck in a Shiite-majority area of north Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 12 people, security and medical officials said.

The blast in Kadhimiyah, which is home to a revered Shiite shrine, also wounded at least 42 people, the officials said.

A police colonel said the bomber struck inside a restaurant at Kadhimiyah's Aden Square, while interior ministry and medical officials said the attack targeted the crowded square.

It is the second suicide bombing to hit the capital in three days. On Saturday, an attack inside a restaurant in the Baghdad Jadida area killed at least 23 people.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Monday attack, but suicide bombings are a tactic almost exclusively employed by Sunni extremists in Iraq, including terrorists of the ISIS group.

IS spearheaded an offensive that swept through large areas north and west of Baghdad last June, and Iraqi forces are battling to regain ground with support from US-led air strikes.

A roadside bomb also exploded in a commercial district in the Shiite-majority Husseiniyah area near Baghdad on Monday, killing at least one person and wounding at least seven.

Militants often target crowded places like restaurants, shops and markets to maximise casualties.

Sunni extremists frequently target Shia with deadly bombings.
 

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