A twin suicide bombing reportedly by ISIS killed 70 people in a Shi’ite district of Baghdad, in the deadliest attack inside the capital this year, as militants launched an assault on its western outskirts.
The suicide bombers, sources said, blew themselves up, while riding on the motorcycles in Sadr city, wounding 100 others, along with the dead.
The local news agency reported that, on the site, there are pools of blood on the ground with slippers, shoes and mobile phones, which was sealed off to prevent further attacks.
Reacting to the issue, Islamic state said, “Our swords will not cease to cut off the heads of the rejectionist polytheists, wherever they are,” using derogatory terms for Shi’ite Muslims.
Iraqi forces backed by the airstrikes from a US-led coalition, have driven ISIS back in the western Anbar province recently, and are preparing for an offensive to retake the northern city of Mosul.
But the militants are still striking even outside the territory, they control, targeting Iraq’s Shi’ite members.
In response to ISIS recent defeats, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said, “This gang targeted civilians after it lost the initiative and its dregs fled the battlefield before our proud fighters.”
The officials said, “The suicide bombers and gunmen attacked Iraqi security forces in Abu Ghraib, seizing positions in a grain silo and a cemetery, and killing at least 17 security forces.
Also read: ISIS: Mass grave of 100 bodies found
Video footage that went viral, showed ISIS fighters crouching behind dirt berms and launching the attack with automatic rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
However, the video’s authenticity could not be verified but the officials said there were still clashes. Jasim al-Bahadli, a Baghdad-based security analyst said that it was too early to declare that ISIS was losing the initiative in Iraq.
“Government forces must do a better job repelling attacks launched by Daesh. What happened today could be a setback for the security forces,” he said.
Militants attacked from the nearby Islamic State-controlled areas of Garma and Falluja, the police forces said.
On the other hand, the security officials said, “A curfew was imposed as a regiment of Iraq’s elite counter-terrorism forces was mobilized to retake the silo in Abu Ghraib and prevent the militants approaching the nearby airport.”
At least 20 militants had been killed in the government’s counter offensive, Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan said.
Jawad al-Tulaibawi, a local Hashid commander said, “Fighters from the Hashid Shaabi, a coalition of mainly Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias, were mobilised to Abu Ghraib to reinforce regular government forces in the area.”
Moqtada al-Sadr, the powerful Shi’ite cleric, alerted the fighters to protect Baghdad. Shi’ite militias like Sadr’s ‘Peace Brigades’ were seen as a bulwark against ISIS sweeping advance in 2014, which threatened Iraq’s capital and its most sacred Shi’ite shrines.
By Phani Ch
