Militants in Iraq unleashed a wave of deadly attacks on the country’s Shia community on Monday, killing at least 43 people.
The blitz by the militants this summer plunged Iraq into its worst crisis since US troops left at the end of 2011. While there was no claim of responsibility for the attacks, they seemed likely calculated by the group to sow fear among Iraqis and keep pressure on the new Shiite-led government in Baghdad.
The day’s attacks killed dozens in Baghdad and the Shia holy city of Karbala.
In the capital, the bomber blew himself up among Shia worshippers as they were leaving a mosque in a central commercial area after midday prayers on Monday. That blast killed at least 17 people and wounded 28, a police officer said.
In Karbala, four separate car bombs went off simultaneously, killing at least 26 people and wounding 55, another police officer said. The city, about 90 kilometres south of Baghdad, is home to the tombs of two revered Shia imams and the site of year-round pilgrimages. The explosives-laden cars were parked in commercial areas and car park near government offices, the officer added.
Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to talk to the media.
The attacks in Baghdad and Karbala, the latest in relentless assaults that have challenged the Shia-led government, came a day after a suicide bombing targeted another Shia mosque in the Iraqi capital, killing 28 people.
The latest attacks bore the hallmarks of Daesh, which has recently claimed several other large bombings in Baghdad and elsewhere, particularly in Shia areas.
