"A suicide car bomb attack in a densely-populated neighbourhood of Baghdad on Monday killed at least 17 people and left dozens wounded", police and hospital officials said.
Most of the victims were daily labourers who were waiting for jobs at a junction in Sadr City.
Several pictures were posted on social media shortly after the explosion. It showed a huge plume of black smoke in the sky and seriously injured people being evacuated.
According to a police colonel, at least 17 people were killed and 39 were severely injured in the blast. This is the second major attack in Baghdad in last three days.
The reason is yet to be revealed why the blast took place.
“The security forces fought back, killing the attackers and blowing up the car,” an interior ministry statement said.
Shirqat mayor Ali Dodah said "Islamic State seized three checkpoints on the main road linking Baiji to Shirqat following the attacks. Shelling in Shirqat had killed at least two children, he told Reuters by phone."
"In a separate incident, gunmen broke into a village near Udhaim, 90 km (56 miles) north of Baghdad, where they executed nine Sunni tribal fighters with shots to the head", police and medical sources said.
"At least three pro-government Shi'ite militia fighters were also killed and seven wounded when militants attacked their position near Udhaim with mortar rounds and machine guns", police sources said.
Dilsukhnagar Blasts Case: Five sentenced to Death
BY M. DIVYA SRI
