31 people were killed and many more wounded in Baghdad Thursday as a result of two suicide attacks, both of which were claimed by ISIS.
The more severe of the two attacks, killing 19 individuals and leaving 46 more wounded, took place in a commercial area of a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad. The suicide bomber was said to have been wearing an explosive vest.
Statements made by anonymous leaders of the Islamic State express that the attacks were aimed at Shiite militia members. These statements have yet to be verified, however, the website where they were posted is frequently used by the terrorist group. Seeing as the postings follow a pattern of the Islamic State’s actions, it is more than likely that the statements originated from members of ISIS.
The second of the two attacks killed twelve people, 7 of whom were civilians. Over 30 others were wounded. The attack took place in the town of Taji, just north of Baghdad. A car, full of explosives, was driven into an Iraqi army checkpoint.
ISIS has conducted more frequent attacks on Baghdad, targeting the Shiite majority in the city as well as government officials in the area. Reports indicate that attacks occur almost daily, however, this one was particularly destructive.
These attacks occurred only a day after Iraqi forces pushed into Falluja, a city recently captured by the Islamic State. The two suicide bombings Thursday are seen as an attempt to otherwise occupy and distract Iraqi officials. Falluja is just one of the many ISIS strongholds in Iraq.
Featured image via Flickr/Alan Cookson
