Iraq: Ramadan Begins Bloody In Baghdad, Two Attacks Kill At Least 30

A security cordon of the Iraqi police delineates the area of ​​the attack in the Karrada district of Baghdad on 30 May.

The Iraqi capital was targeted by two attacks a few hours apart. The result is about 30 deaths. The first, claimed by the Islamic State organization, occurred Tuesday shortly after midnight. A suicide bomber exploded a car bomb in the popular Karrada neighborhood. The jihadists say they have targeted a gathering of Shiites. The second attempt, still car bombed, occurred on one of the main bridges of the capital.

The two attacks were claimed by the jihadist Islamic State (EI) group. They took place in the middle of Ramadan, often bereaved in Iraq by jihadist attacks that strike especially in the evening, when the locals go out to walk after the fast-breaking meal, to make the greatest number of victims.

"There were explosions," said Mohamed Hussein, a resident of the Iraqi capital. During the night, the first explosion took place in the district of Karrada. The other explosion took place near the Baghdad pension fund. This neighborhood is a Shiite neighborhood, but Karrada is a popular shopping area where there are not only Shiite denominations. "

The attack on Karrada in central Baghdad resulted in 16 deaths and 75 injuries. A car bomb exploded in front of a popular ice cream dealer. "  The explosion took place at the hour of the last meal of the night that people take during Ramadan. So there were a lot of people in the streets. The Karrada ice-cream vendors remain open very late,  "said Mohamed Hussein.

He pointed out that this is not the first time this popular neighborhood has been affected, at the same time. "  Last year in Karrada the end of the month of Ramadan was also marked by an attack that had targeted the main shopping center in this neighborhood. Baghdad is completely closed. The security forces have been deployed everywhere. There are enormous traffic jams. We can no longer access Karrada. People fear new attacks".

The second attack occurred a few hours later. A suicide bomber blew up a car bomb close to the main pension building near an important bridge in the capital. The attack killed at least 11 people and injured 40 people, Iraqi officials said.

Mosul about to fall

The Jihadists of the EI take vengeance first on those whom they consider being their sworn enemies. But in a very bad position in the last of the big Iraqi cities they controlled, the city of Mosul, terrorists also try to open fronts in other cities to loosen the vise.

In vain. The fall of Mosul is in fact only a matter of time, even if the progress of the Iraqi army is slowed down in the old city by an intertwining of narrow lanes densely populated and difficult to access for armored vehicles.