Islamic State claims Iraq car bombs that kill nearly 60

[Anthea]

BBC News

Baquba bomb: Deadly blast hits Iraq city



At least 42 people have been killed and many more injured in two bomb attacks in eastern Iraq, local officials say.

A car bomb exploded in a marketplace near the city of Baquba, 35 miles (60km) north-east of Baghdad, killing at least 35 and injuring more than 70.

A second car bomb at a checkpoint east of the city reportedly killed at least seven and wounded approximately 25.

Baquba was the scene of fierce fighting last year between Islamic State (IS) fighters and pro-government militias.

Government forces managed to take control of the city but clashes with the militants continue across Diyala province.

Last month, IS bombed a crowded marketplace in the province, killing 115 people who had gathered to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday's attacks, but they bear the hallmarks of previous IS attacks against civilian groups and military checkpoints.

Security in Diyala was stepped up after the July bombing, particularly around Baquba.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-33853110

[Anthea]

Reuters

Islamic State claims Iraq car bombs that kill nearly 60

At least 58 people were killed and more than 100 wounded on Monday in two blasts in eastern Iraq claimed by Islamic State in a province once considered mostly free of them.

In January Iraqi officials declared victory over the insurgents in Diyala province, which borders Iran, after security forces and Shi'ite paramilitaries drove them out of towns and villages there. But the militants have remained active.

An explosion at a market in Huwaidar, about 4 km (2.5 miles) north of the provincial capital of Baquba, killed 51 people and wounded at least 80, police and medical sources said.

"The attacker managed to pass a checkpoint by lining up with a wedding motorcade and then split off with his explosives-packed vehicle to blow it up in a crowded marketplace," said Diyala police captain Mohammed al-Tamimi.

Islamic State, which controls large parts of northern and western Iraq, claimed responsibility for the attack in the mixed Sunni-Shi'ite Muslim province and said the target was "rejectionists", as the group refers to Shi'ites.

A separate blast to the east of Baquba killed a further seven people and wounded 25. Islamic State said it had targeted a checkpoint manned by the army and volunteers from the Hashid Shaabi - an umbrella group for mainly Shi'ite militias fighting the radical jihadist group.

The attacks took place less than a month after a bombing claimed by Islamic State in the nearby town of Khan Bani Saad, which killed more than 100 people and prompted riots by distraught mourners.

Security forces and militia groups are currently focused on routing Islamic State from the western province of Anbar, where they have been gearing up for an offensive to retake the sprawling Sunni heartland.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/ ... UO20150810