Suicide attack in Baghdad kills at least 11 people

Shiite neighborhood targeted, no claim of responsibility but Islamic State suspected

By AP 24 July 2016, 10:56 am

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A supporter of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr holds a banner reading in Arabic "Yes, Yes to Iraq" during a demonstration in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on July 22, 2016. (AFP PHOTO / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE)

BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber attacked a security check point in northern Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 11 people, Iraqi officials said.

The bomber, who was on foot, detonated his device at one of the busy entrances of the Shiite district of Kadhimiyah, killing at least eight civilians and three policemen, a police officer said. At least 32 other people were wounded, he added.

A medical official confirmed the casualty figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack which bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State group. Security forces and public areas, mainly in Shiite neighborhoods, are one of the most frequent targets for the extremist group, which controls key areas in mainly northern and western Iraq.

Since late last year, the group has suffered a string of territorial losses, most recently last month in Fallujah, where it was driven out by Iraqi forces after occupying the city for more than two years. But the extremists have continued to carry out near-daily bombings in and around Baghdad, as well as complex attacks in other countries.