IS suicide bombers target Shia mourners in Baghdad

Another suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group has killed at least four people and wounded ten more, officials have said.

It comes a day after the deadliest attack to hit the Iraqi capital in months when a number of Iraqi were killed during an attack on a Shia Muslim commemoration.

Police said the explosive-laden bomber targeted a tent where Shia Muslims distribute food as part of annual religious events commemorating the 7th century death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

The group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement carried by its affiliated Amaq news agency.

IS frequently carries out suicide bombings targeting Shias in Iraq.

The most recent came one day earlier, when an IS-claimed suicide bombing at a funeral killed at least 34 people - the deadliest attack in Baghdad since another IS suicide bombing left more than 300 dead in early July.

The attacks come as Iraqi forces prepare for an offensive in northern Iraq to retake Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country, after regaining much of the territory the extremists seized in 2014 and 2015.

The launch of the operation is expected to be announced soon, but it will mark only the start of a battle that is likely to be the most difficult and complex yet in the war against IS.

The battle may spark a humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning that up to one million people may be displaced by the fighting as winter sets in.

Even the recapture of Mosul will not mark the end of the war against IS, which still holds other territory in Iraq and is likely to turn increasingly to insurgent tactics such as bombings and hit-and-run attacks as it loses more ground.