Iraq: Car bombing at busy Baghdad market kills 12 people

“It was a thunderous explosion,” said Hussein Kadhim, a 35-year old porter and father of three who was wounded in his right leg. “It sounds that the security situation is still uncontrollable and I’m afraid that such bombings will make a comeback.”

At least one soldier was seen being evacuated from the scene, which was sealed off by security forces.

The Islamic State group quickly claimed responsibility in an online statement on its media arms, the Aamaq news agency. The Associated Press could not verify the authenticity of the statement. Sunni militants consider Shiites to be apostates and Shiite-dominated areas are prime targets for IS.

The bombing came as U.S.-backed Iraqi forces are in final stages of recapturing the northern town of Tal Afar from IS, about 150 kilometres (93 miles) from Syria’s border.

On Sunday, Iraqi military said it had “fully liberated” Tal Afar’s town centre from IS militants. On Monday, the troops fought at the outskirts of al-Ayadia district, about 10 kilometres (6 miles) northwest of Tal Afar, where most of the militants fled.

Tal Afar was one of the few remaining towns in Iraq still in IS hands following the liberation of Mosul in July from the Islamic State group. The Sunni militant group still controls the northern town of Hawija, as well as Qaim, Rawa and Ana, in western Iraq near the Syrian border.

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Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad and Maamoun Yousef in Cairo contributed to this report.

Murtada Faraj, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Iraq: Car bombing at busy Baghdad market kills 12 people

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