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A10
WORLD NEWSWednesday 18 May 2016
Wave of bombings in Baghdad kill 69Â people
SINAN SALAHEDDIN
Associated Press
BAGHDAD (AP) — A wave
of bombings struck outdoor
markets and a restaurant
in Shiite-dominated
neighborhoods of Baghdad
on Tuesday, killing at least
69 people, officials said
— the latest in a string of
attacks in and around the
Iraqi capital that have left
more than 200 dead in the
past week.
The four separate bombings
were a further challenge
to the beleaguered
government of Prime
Minister Haider al-Abadi,
who is struggling to prove
that his forces can maintain
security in Baghdad and
elsewhere.
One of the bombings
Tuesday struck an outdoor
market in the heavily Shiite
district of Sadr City, a
frequent bombing target.
In the wake of the blast,
influential Shiite cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr, whose
support runs deep in the
district named after his
father, issued a statement
to his followers, saying the
attacks “are the clearest
evidence that your
government has become
unable to protect and
provide you with security.”
The Islamic State group later
claimed responsibility for
the attack in a statement
posted to a militant website
commonly used by the
extremists.
Fighters with al-Sadr’s militia, Security forces and citizens inspect the scene after a suicide car bombing hit a crowded outdoor the capital. But the Islamic
Saraya Salam, deployed
to the streets of Sadr City
following the bombing,
another indication of a
lack of confidence in Iraq’s
official security forces.
In an online statement, IS
also claimed responsibility
for the deadliest bombing of
the day, which took place
in Baghdad’s northeastern
Shaab neighborhood ,
killing at least 34 people
killing eight people and
wounding 22 others, a
police officer said.
That afternoon in northeast
Baghdad, a suicide bomber
targeted a restaurant in the
Habibiya neighborhood,
killing nine and wounding
18.
Medical officials confirmed
the casualty figures. All
officials spoke on condition
of anonymity as they were
not authorized to talk to
reporters.
Commercial and public
places in Shiite-dominated
areas are among the
most frequent targets for
the Sunni militants seeking
to undermine the Iraqi
government efforts to
maintain security inside
market in Baghdad’s eastern Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City, Iraq, Tuesday, May 17, 2016. State has not confined
Associated Press its latest attacks only to
and wounding 75 others. attack came less than a As IS loses ground on Baghdad.
In that attack, a roadside week after a massive truck the front lines, Iraqi and Earlier Tuesday, Iraqi oil
bomb first exploded bomb in a crowded market coalition officials say the workers resumed work at
outside the concrete blast here killed more than 60 group is increasingly turning a natural gas plant north
walls surrounding an open- and wounded over 80 on to insurgency-style attacks of Baghdad, two days
air market, followed by May 11. to distract from their losses. after a coordinated IS
a suicide bomber who Al-Sadr led anti- On the westernmost dawn assault left at least
blew himself up as people government protests last outskirts of Iraq’s vast 14 people dead there, a
gathered to help the month that peaked with Anbar province, Iraqi senior Oil Ministry official
victims of the first explosion, the breaching of the Green forces entered the town said.
a police officer said. Zone, the highly fortified of Rutba, about 240 miles Sunday’s spectacular
The IS statement said the compound in the heart of (380 kilometers) west of attack in the town of Taji,
attack was carried out Baghdad that’s home to Baghdad Tuesday. The about 20 kilometers (12
by an Iraqi who targeted many ministries and foreign town sits just south of a miles) north of Baghdad,
members of Shiite militias. embassies. Since then the key IS-controlled border saw a suicide car bombing
The Associated Press could Iraqi government has been crossing with neighboring at the facility’s main gate,
not verify the authenticity largely paralyzed. Iraqi Syria used to ferry fighters followed by several IS
of the statement but it security officials say they and supplies to IS-held fighters breaking into the
was posted on a militant are concerned political territory in Iraq. plant where they clashed
website commonly used by instability is distracting If successful, Rutba will be with security forces for
extremists. from the fight against IS. the latest victory for Iraqi hours before the attackers
Later in the afternoon However, some analysts forces in Anbar. Last month, were repelled.
Tuesday, a suicide car say the extremist group Iraqi forces took back the In 2014 after the Islamic
bombing hit a crowded is launching the attacks town of Hit and in February State group blitzed across
outdoor market in Sadr at a time of political crisis the provincial capital Iraq and declared an
City, killing 18 people and in an attempt to further Ramadi was declared fully Islamic caliphate on the
wounding 35 others. Sadr delegitimize the Iraqi liberated from IS. territory it holds in Iraq and
City has been one of the government. Tuesday morning, shortly Syria, the extremists were
worst-hit districts as the The uptick in bombings, after the Shaab attack, a estimated to hold nearly a
Islamic State group has many claimed by IS, also parked car bomb struck a third of Iraqi territory. Since
increasingly employed comes as the group has fruit-and-vegetable market then Iraq’s government
terrorist attacks against lost significant chunks of in the Shiite-dominated says the group’s hold has
Iraqi civilians far from territory to Iraqi ground neighborhood of Dora, shrunk to just 14 percent of
frontline fighting. The forces over the past year. in southern Baghdad, Iraq.q