Twenty-one people were killed and twenty-five other severely injured in a predominantly Shia region of Baghdad. The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber. He targeted a Shia mosque in Baghdad’s al Harithyia neighborhood. So far, no organization has claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attack. In the past few days, other similar attacks against Shia have taken place. Some were car attacks while others suicide bombers. Most of these attacks have been claimed by the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS).
So far, Baghdad has managed to protect itself against attacks from ISIS. However, the militant Sunni group has managed to make some valuable strategic gains in Iraq’s Anbar region, situated west of Baghdad. ISIS has been accused of mass murdering Shiites in all of the area it has control over so far. ISIS militants unleashed a series of attacks in Iraq on Thursday. Their targets were areas occupied predominantly by Shia. More than 50 people were killed during the attacks on Thursday. The Islamic State promised they would destabilize Baghdad and eventually take it over. ISIS has managed to take over significant areas in the western and northern parts of Iraq, as well as areas in Syria.
Two parked cars exploded close to one another. The vehicles were parked close to a commercial area in the Dolaie neighborhood. Residents were furious with the government forces which were unable to protect them from such attacks. They threw stones at police officers and police cars, when they arrived at the scene. The police forces had to withdraw because of the angry mob. Iraqi officials have made efforts to reassure people that Baghdad is very well protected and that ISIS militants have slim chances of capturing it. However, almost daily, there are suicide bomber attacks or car bomb attacks. Fighters for the Islamic State seem very confident and declare they are very close to capturing Baghdad.
Similar violent attacks took place in other regions of Baghdad as well. In the Talibiyah neighborhood, a suicide bomber drove his car, filled with explosives, into a police checkpoint. Twelve people were killed during this incident, according to police officials.