Iraq: Suicide attack in Baghdad kills at least 12 people

BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber attacked a security check point in northern Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 12 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 nine civilians and three policemen, a police officer said. At least 32 other people were wounded, he added.

Three more civilians were killed and 11 wounded in a bomb explosion in an outdoor market in Baghdad's western suburb of Abu Ghraib, another police officer said.

Two medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to release information.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks which bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State group. Security forces and public areas, mainly in Shiite neighbourhoods, 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.

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