Car Bombings in Baghdad Shopping Districts Kill 126 People

The Islamic State has claimed responsibilty for the attack that killed 126 people in Baghdad.

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Headlines have unfortunately been filled with senseless acts of violence in recent weeks, including the tragic shooting at gay night club Pulse in Orlando and the fatal hostage situation in Bangladesh. Now at least 126 people have been killed after two car bombs exploded in Baghdad's shopping districts on Saturday, CNN reports

The first bomb exploded in the central Baghdad neighborhood of Karrada on a bustling shopping street, killing 125 people and wounding 147 others. Of the 125 people killed in the first blast, 25 were children. The second detonation occurred at an outdoor market in the Shaab neighborhood of Baghdad, killing one person and wounding five others. 

In a statement posted to Twitter, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Karrada attack, clarifying that Shiite neighborhoods were the targets of the attack. Karrada and Shaab are both Shiite neighborhoods. Ján Kubis, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Iraq noted that an act of violence like this is particularly "heinous" in the last days of Ramadan. "This shows Daesh's wanton intentions to kill, maim and demoralize," he said. 

There has been a major surge in the amount of car bombings that have taken place in Baghdad in recent weeks. In May, a car carrying explosives exploded, killing at least 24 people and injuring 71 others. Two more explosions in the al-Shaab neighborhood that followed killed 19 people and wounded another 44. 

 

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