Suicide bomber kills at least 30 people in Karbala

BAGHDAD: A woman detonated her explosive belt in a market east of the Shia holy city of Kerbala on Friday, killing at least 30 and wounding 35, Iraqi security sources said.

“A suicide bomber blew himself up in Musayyib market, causing 20 civilian martyrs,” an interior ministry spokesman said.

At least 34 other people were wounded in the attack in the centre of Musayyib, a town that lies about 60 kilometres south of the capital, a police officer and a medic at the local hospital said.

A source at Musayyib hospital said at least four of the wounded were in very serious condition following the blast, which rocked the market at around 11:30 am local time.

The attack in Musayyib came hours after another, apparently failed attack in the Shiite shrine city of Karbala, a few kilometres (couple of miles) to the southwest.

Four civilians were wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the city’s main bus station early Friday, police sources said.

Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group through its propaganda agency Amaq, which in both cases spoke of a “martyrdom-seeking operation” using an explosive vest.

IS has carried out dozens of deadly suicide bombings targeting civilians but Iraq has been on heightened alert since the start of Ramadan.