The Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, IS and Daesh ) has claimed responsibility for the attacks, the deadliest in Iraq since 2007.

One attack occurred at about 01:00 local time (2200 GMT) when a suicide bomber detonated his car bomb at a crowded thoroughfare in Karada District in southern central Baghdad.

Hundreds of Iraqis have held a vigil of prayers for the victims of the two deadly car bombing attacks in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, over the weekend, which left more than 160 people dead.

The participants, lighting candles, converged on the streets of Baghdad’s shopping area of Karrada after breaking their dawn-to-dusk fast for the holy Muslim month of Ramadan to pray for the deceased.

A multi-level building was damaged, and several cars were destroyed by the powerful blast.
Shortly after another explosion ripped through the capital when a booby-trapped car went off at Shallal market.

The devastating attack came after ISIS encountered a series of territorial losses at the hands of Iraqi forces, including the city of Fallujah, which might have irritated the extremists to carry out the retaliation.

Innocent civilians lost their lives as they crowded at popular areas at night after the day's fast, with many shopping and celebrating ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday on Wednesday, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

 Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi visited and surveyed the blast site on Sunday morning and later declared three days of public mourning.

Iraq has been hit by a new wave of violence since ISIS took control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions in June 2014.

A report by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) estimated that 662 Iraqis had been killed, and 1,457 others wounded in acts of terrorism, violence, and armed conflict across Iraq this June.

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