Massive truck bomb in Baghdad market kills 58
Date
8/13/2015 4:10:04 AM
(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
BAGHDAD 13th August 2015 (WAM) -- A massive truck bomb ripped through a popular Baghdad food market in a predominantly Shiite neighbourhood in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) killing at least 58 people police officials have said.
According to a report from Associated Press quoting two local police officers the truck detonated in the Jameela market in the Iraqi capital's crowded Sadr City neighbourhood shortly after dawn. They also said that at least 89 people were wounded in the attack.
Residents of the Shiite community rushed to help the victims carrying corpses in garbage bags and sending the wounded to local hospitals in ambulances or in personal cars. The blast incinerated much of the market leaving charred wooden market stalls and scattering fruit and vegetables far around it.
Fire trucks and ambulances rushed to the scene and firemen were dousing the still-smoldering complex with water long after the explosion.
"On Thursdays the market is especially crowded because people come from the other provinces to stock up on food for the weekend" one of the police officers said.
He said the truck that set off the explosion was a refrigeration truck so it was impossible to distinguish it from other trucks delivering produce to the market.
Four hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures but spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but Islamic State militants commonly target military checkpoints or predominantly Shiite neighbourhoods such as Sadr City with the goal of sending a message to the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad.
The Sunni militant group currently holds territory in about a third of Iraq. They view Shiite Muslims as well as other religious minorities as apostates.
When they launched their major onslaught across northern Iraq last year they vowed to continue on to Baghdad but a mobilisation of volunteer Shiite fighters deterred any significant attacks on the capital.
Last month the militant group targeted a popular market in the eastern province of Diyala killing more than 115 people in one of the worst-single attacks to hit the country in a decade.
WAM/Moran