At least 80 die as three suicide bombings rock Baghdad

Three car bombs in Baghdad have killed at least 88 people on the bloodiest day in the Iraqi capital this year. The first blast hit a busy outdoor market during Wednesday morning’s rush hour in the northern district Sadr City, a predominantly Shiite area. At least 63 people were killed and 82 others were wounded. The explosion set nearby shops and market stalls on fire, as a crowd of angry residents and investigators gathered at the scene and around the charred remains of the car.

They (the government) say that they have metal detectors to detect explosives. I wonder where such detectors are? How can such car bombs go though checkpoints?

One unnamed witness

A beauty salon and adjacent barber shop were among the buildings caught in the blast, and the many victims were said to include brides and grooms getting ready for their weddings. Witnesses questioned the effectiveness of security screening which is supposed to stop cars laden with explosive devices from entering the area. One witness said: “Young people want to live in this market. Security forces are unable to control security." Islamic State, which considers Shiite Muslims as heretics, claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement. Further blasts in Kadhimiyah, another mostly Shiite Muslim district in the north-west of the city and in the Jamiya neighbourhood in western Baghdad, left another 25 dead.

Sadr City