A car bomb blasted outside a popular ice cream shop in central Baghdad killing 13 people while 24 are injured on early Tuesday. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the violent attack. Iraqi officials said involved remotely detonated bombs inside a parked car on condition of anonymity.
Notably, the outbreak came just days into the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast during daylight. After sunset, they end their fast and Baghdad’s eateries and cafes quickly stock up in the late evening.
Videos surfaced online showed chaotic scenes on the streets surrounding the explosion. Many injured lay on the ground; others sustained themselves up on the park benches outside the ice cream shop. Ramadan is frequently marked by an uptick in ferocity in Iraq.
The latest attack comes as Iraqi troops are gradually pushing IS fighters out of their last grips in the northern city of Mosul.
