Southern Baghdad blast kills civilian, wounds 6

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) A civilian was killed and six others were wounded on Friday when an explosive device exploded in Suwaib, south of Baghdad.

A security source told Alsumaria News that the IED was placed near a cattle market.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) said recently that violence in Iraq had left 19000 casualties in 2016, but said the count excludes deaths in Anbar during three months of that year.

Observers believe Islamic State have begun to escalate attacks outside the city of Mosul, where the group has been losing ground and personnel since October, so as to relieve pressure on that front by government forces and to divert attention from losses.

Attacks across Baghdad in the past week, some claimed by the ultra-hardline Sunni group, have killed more than 60 people, Reuters said.

Attacks in the east and south of the capital on Thursday left at least seven dead.