Baghdad: Car bombs leave at least 12 dead

At least 12 people were killed and 40 wounded on Tuesday after two car bombs exploded in northeast Baghdad, Iraqi security and medical officials have announced.

The deaths mark the latest in a series of bomb attacks targeting members of Iraq’s Shia community. Over the past three days, 40 people have been killed in similar attacks.  

No group has yet taken responsibility for the latest attack, but the Islamic State group (IS, formerly known as ISIS) has taken responsibility for similar attacks in recent days.

On Monday, at least 26 people were killed when four car bombs simultaneously exploded in the city of Karbala, which has sacred significance for the Shia community.  

Iraqi security forces, with the aid of allied Shia militias, have kept IS from entering Baghdad during months of heavy fighting, but the Islamist group is still able to carry out deadly bombings in the city.

However, the Iraqi government also faces challenges from some Shia militant groups. On Monday, a gunfight broke out between security forces and a group of Asaib Ahl al-Haq Shia militants who kidnapped a Kurdish woman related to one of the country's deputy prime ministers.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi on Monday ruled out any foreign military ground intervention to assist the government in retaking territory lost to IS.