ISIS blasts leave 35 dead in Iraq

Baghdad, May 20: Suicide bombings at checkpoints in Baghdad and south Iraq claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens, officials said on Saturday.

The bombings, which hit Iraq the previous night, came as Iraqi forces battle ISIS in Mosul in a massive operation launched more than seven months ago to retake the country’s second city from the jihadists.

In Baghdad, suicide car bombers attacked the area of a checkpoint in the city’s southern Abu Dsheer area, killing 24 people and wounding 20, Brigadier General Saad Maan said. Security forces were able to kill one of the attackers, but the second blew up his car bomb.

ISIS issued a statement claiming the attack, but gave a different account of how it unfolded, saying one militant clashed with security forces using a light weapon before detonating an explosive belt, after which a second blew up a car bomb. — AFP