At least 119 people have been killed and nearly 190 people injured in suicide car bombing claimed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in a crowded Baghdad shopping center, Iraqi police say.
The blast hit the central Karrada district in the early hours of July 3 when hundreds of people were out on the streets after breaking their dawn-to-dusk fast for the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.
Officials said most of the victims -- including many women and children -- were inside a multistory shopping and amusement mall, where dozens burned to death or suffocated.
The bombing in Karrada, a mainly Shi'ite area, is the deadliest in Iraq this year.
A second bomb also exploded at about midnight in Baghdad’s northern Shaab area, killing another five people.
The White House condemned the bombings, saying the attacks only strengthened the United States' resolve to confront IS.
"We remain united with the Iraqi people and government in our combined efforts to destroy ISIL," a White House statement said, referring to IS.
The U.S. State Department extended condolences to the victims of the two bombings and condemned acts of extremist violence.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Ukrainian Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna Dies In Russian Captivity
2Surviving Russian Prisons And The 'Frightening' Food They Serve
3Russian, Iranian Presidents Meet As War Rages In Middle East
4Tense Times For Ukraine As Pressure Mounts On The Battlefield And Beyond
5Ukraine Live Briefing: Missile Strike In Mykolayiv
6The U.S. And Georgia Used To Be Close Friends. But Ahead Of Critical Elections, They're Hardly Speaking.
7Zelenskiy Says Ukrainian Troops Holding On In Kursk After Russian Claims Of Gains
8FBI's Arrest Of Afghan Underscores Growing Threat Of Islamic State-Khorasan
9Pakistan's Ban On Prominent Civil Rights Group Will 'Alienate' Pashtun Minority
10Hezbollah Drone 'Swarm' Kills 4 Israeli Soldiers, Injures Dozens At Army Base
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.