One killed, six others wounded in two bomb blasts in Baghdad

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Seven people were killed and wounded as two bomb blasts took place in Baghdad, a security source was quoted saying on Saturday.

Speaking to Baghdad Today website, the source said, “a bomb went off near stores in al-Rashidiya region, northeast of Baghdad, leaving three people wounded.”

Ambulances, according to the source, rushed to the blast spot and transferred the wounded to hospital for treatment.

Earlier on the day, the same source said “a bomb exploded near a store in Jisr Diyala region, southeast of the capital, leaving a civilian killed and three others injured.”

Baghdad has seen almost daily bombings and armed attacks against security members, paramilitary troops and civilians since the Iraqi government launched a wide-scale campaign to retake Islamic State-occupied areas in 2016.

A total of 115 Iraqi civilians, excluding policemen, were killed and another 250 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in January 2018, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Baghdad was the worst affected governorate, with 323 civilian casualties (90 killed, 233 injured). Diyala followed, with 8 killed and 15 injured; and Nineveh, with 13 killed and 7 injured.

As many as 3,298 civilians were killed and 4,781 others were wounded in 2017, excluding Anbar civilian casualty figures for November and December, which are not available, UNAMI said in a report in December.