Twin suicide bombings have killed at least 215 people in Baghdad, and ISIS claims it’s behind the one that killed the most people. reports CNN. The attack on July 3 occurred during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. USA Today says the death toll includes at least 25 children, said CNN. USA Today reported that at least six police officers were also killed. It was the deadliest attack in Baghdad in years, CNN said.
According to CNN, there were two suicide bombings in succession, one in a busy shopping area, and the other at an outdoor market. ABC News reported that over 180 people were injured.
Initial reports from Iraq had said fewer were killed, but the death toll grew fast. Al-Jazeera said families, including many children who died, were out after sunset at the market. Photos showed extreme destruction from the car bombs:
Here’s what you need to know:
1. ISIS Has Claimed Responsibility for the Suicide Bombing in the Market
According to the Jerusalem Post, the market blast was caused by a truck refrigerator that was filled with explosives.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, in a statement circulated online by supporters of the ultra-hard line Sunni group. It said the blast was a suicide bombing.
CNN says that ISIS used Twitter to claim it was behind the attack in Karrada, which is where the market was located. According to CNN, the terrorist group said it was targeting Shiites. ISIS had not yet claimed responsibility for the second Baghdad attack. ABC News says ISIS called the market bombing part of its “ongoing security operations.”
2. The Attacks Came on the Final Week of Ramadan & Many Children Died
The BBC says the market attack occurred near a restaurant and shopping area in Baghdad’s central district, Karrada. “The street was busy with shoppers after sundown in the holy month of Ramadan, which ends this week,” BBC says.
According to the BBC, most of those killed were in Karrada. The second bomb killed five people when it exploded north of Baghdad in a Shia area, BBC reports. The BBC quoted the Associated Press in reporting that many of the dead were children. When the Prime Minister visited the scene, he was confronted by angry crowds.
According to CNN, families had gathered to watch the Euro 2016 soccer tournament in a cafe. The suicide bomb blew through a building with multiple floors that contained a gym and stores.
3. ISIS Killed Even More People in May in Bombings in Baghdad
It's not the first time in recent months that ISIS has targeted the Iraqi capital for suicide bombings. In May, over 90 people were killed in ISIS attacks there, CNN says. As with Sunday’s attack, the May suicide bombings occurred in a fast series. In May, one of the attacks was on a police station and killed several officers. There were three attacks in a row.
One Twitter user posted a map of ISIS car bombings since 2003 in Baghdad.
4. Security Has Been Tightened as the World Worries About the Next ISIS Attack
According to ABC News, the New York Police Department says it is prepared in case ISIS tries to attack the American city.
IndiaToday reports that ISIS has threatened that country, in the wake of the hacking deaths of 20 people by ISIS militants in a Bangladesh cafe. Coalition forces have been striking back, killing ISIS fighters in a convoy on July 1. The Baghdad attacks came a week after Iraqi forces recaptured the key city of Fallujah.