Car bomb in Iraq, more than 40 people killed

More than 40 people were killed and dozens more injured in two consecutive car bombings in Baghdad, Iraq.

Most of the victims were armed militiamen participating in the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).

The first attack occurred last night when a car bomb exploded on Al Karada commercial street in central Baghdad, killing 15 people on the spot and injuring about 30 others, destroying or damaging many shops and cars.

Two consecutive car bombs killed more than 40 people in the capital Baghdad. (Photo: Guardian)

The second attack occurred shortly after, when a suicide bomber detonated a Hamvee-branded car bomb at a Shiite militia checkpoint in the town of Al Sakhra, about 50 kilometers south of Baghdad. The explosion killed at least 25 people and wounded 25 others. All the casualties were Shiite militiamen, while the attacker is believed to be an Islamic State member.

The car bomb terrorist attacks in the capital Baghdad and surrounding areas occurred in the context of the continued presence of Islamic State militants in some locations just a few dozen kilometers from Baghdad, directly threatening the security of the capital of the Gulf country.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi government troops and Shiite militias have gathered in Baghdad and its suburbs to defend the city, while the US-led coalition against the Islamic State has also carried out continuous airstrikes to protect Baghdad./.

According to VOV