On Monday, a blast ripped through a busy market in the capital of Iraq, killing 27 and wounding 32. ISIS has since claimed responsibility for the explosion, however, Afghan forces are still investigating the situation to determine the source of the blast. According to local health and security officials, children and women were among the dead and wounded. The explosion occurred at the Wahailat outdoor market in Sadr City, a Muslim Shia neighborhood located in the east of Baghdad. Officials also confirmed that several shops and stores were damaged in the blast.
The market was heavily crowded on the day of the blast, packed with shoppers preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha, an Islamic religious festival. Videos uploaded to social media show women and children attempting to flee the scene. ISIS allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack just hours after it occurred, claiming that it had been carried out by a suicide bomber in an explosive vest. No evidence was provided to support the claim, and the Iraqi military has confirmed that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device. It remains unclear whether ISIS’s claims are true.
Read More: ISIS claims responsibility for Iraq blast that left dozens dead
