128 dead from Baghdad suicide attacks

At least 128 people, including 25 children, were on Saturday and Sunday killed and about 147 injured in Shiite and Shaab neighborhoods of Baghdad, Iraq, with ISIS claiming responsibility.

The Saturday attack said to be one of the worst Iraq has had in years, happened in Shiite neighborhood as a suicide car bomb exploded in a busy shopping district in Baghdad, where families had gathered in the popular area to break the Ramadan fast and watch the Euro 2016 soccer tournament in a cafe.

The car bomb exploded, ripping through a multi-level building that also housed stores and a gym.

A second bomb exploded Sunday at an outdoor market in the Shaab neighborhood in southern Baghdad, killing one person and wounding five others, police said.

The attacks came just days after massacres at a cafe in Dhaka, Bangladesh and at the Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey.

“These acts of mass murder are yet another example of Daesh’s contempt for human life,” said State Department’s John Kirby, using another term for ISIS. “From Baghdad to Istanbul, Brussels, Dhaka, and Paris, Daesh terrorists murder the innocent to attract attention and recruits. They will not succeed.”

ISIS, also known as ISIL, acknowledged territorial losses to Iraqi forces in May as it promised an uptick in terror attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, which ends this week.

ISIS, in a statement posted on twitter, claimed responsibility for the Karrada attack saying it was targeting Shiite neighborhoods.

When Iraqi forces retook the city recently from ISIS, authorities assured Baghdad residents that the bombings would stop.

According to CNN Senior International Correspondent Ben Wedeman, “Obviously this will reignite the anger of ordinary people who say we can’t even go out at night and enjoy life in our city.”

Reponding to the incident, a witness said, “I lost several friends. “We’ve had it with the Iraqi government and politicians. They can’t continue blaming Da’esh and other terrorist groups. We need a solution.”

The anger of residents manifested itself when Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other officials attempted to survey the bomb damage. Amateur videos posted on social media showed residents throwing objects at a convoy carrying al-Abadi in Karrada. The videos showed protesters yelling “thief!” and “get out!”

In a statement, al-Abadi said he understands the reaction in “that moment of grief” by the residents who threw objects at his convoy.

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