The Islamic State claimed responsibility for a double suicide bombing in Baghdad this week that killed at least 32 people and wounded more than 100.
The attack, which was carried out by two men on Thursday, struck a busy market near Tayaran Square in the central part of the Iraqi capital. It was the first such bombing since 2018 as ISIS began to lose its territorial caliphate in Iraq and Syria.
Witnesses said the first bomber complained that he was sick to those in the market, causing a crowd to form around him. Once people had gathered, the terrorist detonated an explosive belt. The second attacker, utilizing a strategy common among Islamist terrorists, then detonated his suicide belt near an ambulance as people gathered to assist the wounded.
Abbas Abdulkareem, a local fruit vendor, told NPR that the attack rattled Baghdadis given the months without such bombings.
“We were shocked,” Abdulkareem said, “because for some time, there have been no explosions. The situation was safe, and people were optimistic.”
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad condemned the violence in a Thursday statement.
“This attack is a reprehensible act of cowardice that underscores the dangers of terrorism that millions of Iraqis continue to face,” the embassy said. “We extend our condolences to the families of these victims, and hope for the swift recovery for those who were injured.”
ISIS claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack through its media arm Amaq in a message posted to the app Telegram, according to Reuters.
