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Car Bombs Kill 27 In Central Baghdad, Officials Say


The wreckage of a car is seen at the site of bombing near a government office in Baghdad's Karkh district on May 30.
The wreckage of a car is seen at the site of bombing near a government office in Baghdad's Karkh district on May 30.

Two car bombs have killed at least 27 people in Baghdad and wounded more than 100 others, officials say.

The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed responsibility for a blast that killed 16 people and wounded dozens more just after midnight at a popular ice-cream parlor in the Iraqi capital's commercial Karrada district. Women and children were among the victims.

In a second attack, a car bomb exploded near one of the capital's main bridges in the morning, killing 11 people and wounding scores, the officials said.

IS issued a statement claiming responsibility for the first attack, identifying the bomber as an Iraqi who blew up an explosives-rigged vehicle targeting Shi'ite Muslims.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the second attack.

The blasts come just a few days into the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, during which Iraqis often stay out late shopping or socializing after breaking their daily fast.

IS considers members of Iraq's Shi'ite Muslim majority to be heretics and frequently carries out attacks against them.

Karrada was hit by a massive truck bomb in July 2016 that killed at least 324 people, the deadliest attack in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that drove Saddam Hussein from power in 2003.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa

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