Later on Wednesday, three more vehicle bomb blasts rocked three other districts in Baghdad, killing at least 27 people, at police checkpoints in the predominantly Shia Muslim Kadhimiya and Hurriyah districts, as well as the Jamiyah district, according to police. The ultra-hardline Sunni jihadist group, which considers Shi’ites apostates, has claimed recent attacks across the country as well as a twin suicide bombing in Sadr City in February that killed 70 people.
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The second exploded at the entrance to Baghdad’s Kadhimiya district, killing at least 15. The ground near the explosion was littered with children’s toys, shoes, and wigs, Reuters reported, and at least two cars were destroyed in the bombing.
The UN’s top envoy in Iraq, Jan Kubis, condemned the bombings.
After the attacks, grieving relatives and family members lit candles at the scene of the Sadr City bombing as calls came from mosques in Baghdad for blood donations.
The Interior Ministry accused Zamili of spreading lies and said Sadr followers were contributing to the insecurity through protests that divert police resources. The deadliest struck a crowded market selling food, clothing and household goods in the predominantly Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City.
At least 63 people were killed and 82 others were wounded.
The market attacked in the first bombing Wednesday is a base of support for al-Sadr.
Sectarian tensions also threaten to undermine efforts to dislodge ISIL from vast areas of the north and west of Iraq that they seized in 2014.
The lack of security means that “the people who are demanding their rights are paying, the people who are demanding their freedom are paying”, said Ghalib al-Zamili, a provincial councilman whose brother is a commander in the Peace Brigades, al-Sadr’s followers.
They also point to the resilience of the extremist IS group, which has increasingly resorted to bombings in civilian areas far from the front lines as it has lost some territory to Iraqi forces backed by US -led airstrikes.
Although security has improved in the Iraqi capital, Wednesday’s attacks demonstrated the Islamic State’s ability to launch devastating assaults in tee hart of Baghdad.
“There needs to be a serious stance against all failed, corrupt security commanders who didn’t protect the lives of innocent civilians and their property”, said Ali al-Mahamdawi, 28, a protester and religion student.
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Angry demonstrators last month broke into central Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone and stormed parliament after lawmakers again failed to approve new ministers. “They should pay heed to their people who are killed daily”. It has said it draws no distinction between them and security forces.
