Fatal car bomb hits south Baghdad's industrial area

A parked car exploded in the early hours of Tuesday morning in an industrial area in the south of the city.

1 min read

14 February, 2017

A policeman inspects a car at a checkpoint in Baghdad [Getty]

A car bomb targeted an industrial area in south Baghdad on Tuesday morning, killing at least five people, with figures expected to rise.

Bayaa, which is home to several car mechanics and garages, is a mixed Sunni and Shia area. The bomb exploded in a parked car “killing five people and wounding eight others” a security source told The New Arab.

A police colonel spokesperson, however, told AFP that at least four people were killed and 14 injured.

The large explosion also caused fire damage to nearby shops and car workshops.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which follows a relative calm after Baghdad suffered a wave of suicide bombings in January.

Security has been tightened in the capital which mainly involves increased “inspections going in and out of residential, commercial and industrial areas,” witnesses told The New Arab.

Most attacks of this kind are usually claimed by the Islamic State group, which is attempting to hold its last major strategic stronghold in the north in Mosul.