A car bomb blast claimed by the Islamic State group ripped through the crowded heart of an Iraqi town north of Baghdad Friday, killing at least 35 people, officials said. The attack occurred in a market area of the predominantly Shiite town of Khan Bani Saad as people shopped on the eve of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan. The officials said many women and children were among the victims. Footage aired on Iraqi television showed devastation around the bomb site, with several buildings completely gutted by the blast and debris strewn over a huge area.
The explosion was big, it caused a lot of damage.
Raad Fares al-Mas, a member of parliament, said from nearby Baquba, the capital of Diyala
Sunni Muslims began marking Eid al-Fitr on Friday but Iraq’s majority Shiite community will start their celebrations on Saturday. Markets are usually packed in the days before the holiday as people preparing for large family gatherings shop for food and clothes. The Islamic State group issued a claim on jihadist forums saying the blast was caused by a suicide car bomb.