BAGHDAD – A suicide bomber struck a funeral gathering
in Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least 35 people and wounding more than 60,
Iraqi police and hospital officials
said.
The attack in the
Shaab neighborhood occurred around lunchtime, the officials said, speaking on
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
ISIS claimed responsibility in a statement carried by its Aamaq news agency.
Hussein Khazem, the
owner of clothing warehouse near where the bombing took place, said the bomber
detonated his payload inside a funeral tent, causing a big explosion.
He saw a large
number of killed and wounded people, many burning cars and major damage to the
local market nearby. The dead included elderly people, children, and some
women. He closed his shop to help evacuate the wounded and remove the bodies.
"The security
situation is not good at all," he said. "These big incidents are
happening again, especially in the poorer residential neighborhoods."
The attack comes as
Iraqi security forces are preparing for an operation to retake the
militant-held northern city of Mosul, the country's second largest, from ISIS.
In the past, the
extremists have increased insurgent attacks inside government-held territory
far from the front lines after suffering territorial losses on the battlefield.
Iraq has seen
several bombings in recent months, though most have had lower death tolls than
Saturday's attack. In July, a massive car bomb in central Baghdad's popular
shopping district of Karradah killed about 300 people and forced the
resignation of the interior minister.
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