At least 60 killed and 200 injured in Baghdad food market truck bombing

A massive truck bomb ripped through a popular Baghdad food market in a predominantly Shiite neighbourhood in the early morning hours on Thursday, killing at least 60 people, police officials said. The truck detonated in the Jameela market in the Iraqi capital’s crowded Sadr City neighbourhood shortly after dawn, according to two local police officers. They also said that at least 89 people were wounded in the attack. Residents of the Shiite community rushed to help the victims, carrying corpses in garbage bags and sending the wounded to local hospitals in ambulances or in personal cars. The blast incinerated much of the market, leaving charred wooden market stalls and scattering fruits and vegetables far around it.

On Thursdays the market is especially crowded because people come from the other provinces to stock up on food for the weekend.

An emergency service worker said.

Fire trucks and ambulances rushed to the scene and fire men were dousing the still-smouldering complex with water long after the explosion. Four hospital officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Islamic State militants commonly target military checkpoints or predominantly Shiite neighbourhoods such as Sadr City, with the goal of sending a message to the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad. While near-daily attacks are common in the capital, death tolls have rarely reached this level for a single attack since the height of the country’s brutal sectarian bloodletting in 2006 and 2007.

Middle East truck bombing Baghdad