Iraq: Baghdad blasts kill 27 people as Iraqi forces battle ISIS in Mosul
Two bombings killed at least 27 people and wounded more than 115 in Baghdad, officials said Tuesday, May 30, as Iraqi forces fight to retake the last Islamic State group-held areas of Mosul.
In the deadliest of the two attacks, a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle at a popular ice cream shop at around midnight (2100 GMT Monday), killing at least 16 people and wounding 75.
The bomber struck just days after the start of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, during which Iraqis often stay out late shopping or socializing after breaking their daily fast.
ISIS issued a statement claiming the attack, identifying the bomber as an Iraqi who targeted Shiite Muslims.
ISIS considers members of Iraq’s Shiite majority – including the women and children who were victims of the ice cream shop blast – to be heretics and thus legitimate targets for attack.