Two separate bomb blasts in Baghdad leave eight casualties

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Two separate bomb blasts rocked the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Sunday leaving eight casualties, according to security sources at the scenes.

An explosion near a café in the al-Saheroon neighborhood southeast of the Iraqi capital killed one person and injured four others, security sources told Iraqi media.

“A security force cordoned off the blast site and prevented passers-by from approaching,” an unnamed security source told Baghdad Today, adding that the injured were taken to a hospital immediately.

Meanwhile, in the al-Yusifiyah area in southern Baghdad, a bomb exploded near an overcrowded market, injuring three people.

On Saturday, another explosion in Baghdad near stores in the Abu Ghraib district wounded six people.

No side has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet.

Attacks targeting the civilian population are on the rise despite Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s “final victory” announcement last month signaling the military defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq.

According to its monthly casualty’s report, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) reported that a total of 69 civilians, excluding police personnel, were killed, while 142 others were wounded in December due to acts of terrorism, violence, and armed conflict.

Baghdad was the worst affected province in the country with 122 civilian casualties—24 people killed and 98 injured.

Salahuddin Province ranked second with seven people killed and 25 injured, while the disputed region of Kirkuk came third with 15 dead and six people injured.

The figures reported by the UNAMI saw a significant decline compared to November where 117 civilians were killed and another 264 injured, but armed conflict persists in the country with some fearing IS’ reemergence.