Civilian killed, four wounded in southwestern Baghdad blast

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) A civilian was killed, while four others were wounded as a blast occurred in southwestern Baghdad, a security source said.

“A bomb placed on the side of the road in Khan Dhari in Abu Ghraib district exploded on Wednesday evening, leaving a person killed and four others wounded,” the source told AlSumaria News.

“Security cordoned the accident spot. The wounded were taken to hospital, while the victim was transferred to forensic medicine department,” the source added.

Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

A monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), which excludes security members deaths, said 297 Iraqis, were killed and injured due to violence and armed conflicts during the month of ِAugust. Baghdad was the most affected province with 45 deaths and 135 injuries.

The capital has seen almost daily bombings and armed attacks against security members, paramilitary groups and civilians since the Iraqi government launched a wide-scale campaign to retake IS-occupied areas in 2016. While most of of the explosions and attacks went without a claim of responsibility, Islamic State has claimed several incidents.

Despite the group’s defeat in its main havens across Iraqi provinces, observers believe the group may still constitute a security threat.