Suicide bomber hits checkpoint north of Baghdad
July 25, 2016
A suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden car into a crowded checkpoint outside of Baghdad, killing at least 14 people, Iraqi officials said on Monday.
The blast occurred at one of the busy entrances to the town of Khalis, killing six civilians and eight policemen, a police officer said, adding that around 41 people were wounded in the attack.
Many of the victims died inside their vehicles while waiting at the checkpoint. Nearly 20 cars were damaged by the blast.
"We still have charred bodies inside many vehicles including a minibus packed with women and children," the police captain said, requesting anonymity.
Khalis, a town 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad, is a Shiite enclave surrounded by Sunni areas.
Bomb explosions rocked Baghdad as well on Monday, killing at least nine and wounding 26, reported police. The explosions took place at three commercial areas across the city.
The militant Sunni "Islamic State" (IS) group claimed responsibility for the checkpoint attack in an online statement, but did not immediately claim the Baghdad blasts.
The statement said the attack was intended to hit Iraqi troops in Kahlis. IS has suffered a string of territorial losses, most recently in Fallujah, where it was driven out by Iraqi forces after occupying the city for over two years.
The extremist group has responded to battlefield setbacks by striking civilians, and is known for targeting commercial areas and large gatherings of Shiite followers.
On Sunday, the group claimed responsibilttiy for an attack at a checkpoint in Baghdad which killed 14 and wounded 31. Earlier this month, the group bombed a shopping area in Baghdad during Ramadan, killing over 290 people.
rs/ (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)