Blasts near Baghdad market kill dozens

Back-to-back bombings in an outdoor market in Baghdad's Sadr City have killed at least 24 people and injured over 70 more.

MENA

1 min read

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28 February, 2016

Islamic State militants carried out a number of attacks around Iraq's capital on Sunday [Getty]

At least 24 people have been killed in bombings near a market in northeastern Baghdad on Sunday, only hours after an attack by the Islamic State group was repelled by Iraqi forces.

The blasts in the Sadr City area, at least one of which was a suicide bombing, also wounded at least 71 people.

A car bomb was initially denoted, followed minutes later by a suicide bomber, amid a crowd that had gathered at the site of the first bombing.

Islamic State [IS] group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

IS militants had attempted to launch an assault earlier on the suburb of western Baghdad.

The attacks included multiple suicide car bombings on the Abu Ghraib district, killing at least 12 and wounding 35.

Reinforcements from Iraq's ground forces were sent out into the surrounding area to flush out pockets of IS fighters still remaining.

A local curfew was imposed but the army was "under control", the commander of military operations in western Baghdad, General Saad Harbiya said.

While attacks are still common in Baghdad, violence in the capital has decreased significantly since IS launched a sweeping offensive in June 2014, after which many of its militants became occupied with fighting in other areas.

Agencies contributed to this report.