Twin bombing targets marketplace in Iraq’s east
At least 21 people killed, dozens injured in double bombing at busy market in eastern town of Balad Ruz, officials say.
A twin car bombing targeting a busy Iraqi market place has killed at least 21 people in a town northeast of Baghdad, according to police sources.
Police officials told Al Jazeera the attack took place on Saturday morning when the first bomb exploded near the market in the majority Shia town of Balad Ruz, in the eastern Diyala province.
Minutes later, a second car bomb went off on the people who gathered to inspect the site of the first blast.
At least 44 people were injured in the attacks according to medical sources.
Balad Ruz is about 70km northeast of Baghdad.
Hospital officials reported a lower death toll of at least nine and said at least 30 were wounded. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media.
Clashes between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and Shia fighters took place in the suburbs of Samara, 95km north of Baghdad.
At least 13 army soldiers and Shia fighters were killed and 42 have been injured.
Samara and surrounding areas have been under constant attacks by ISIL, which holds about a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in its self-declared caliphate.
Iraq sees near-daily attacks that are often claimed by ISIL.