Multiple bombings leave 12 civilians dead in Iraq capital

At least 12 civilians have been killed in separate bomb attacks targeting commercial areas in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, security officials say.

Police in Baghdad said the deadliest of Thursday’s assaults took place at an outdoor market in the southwestern neighborhood of Shurta al-Rabia, where a bomber detonated his explosives, killing seven people and injuring 15 others.

Three other civilians were killed when a bomb exploded in the western Ghazaliya neighborhood. Officials said 11 others were injured in the incident.

Another bomb attack also hit the southeastern district of Zafaraniya, leaving two civilians dead and eight others wounded.

Facing heavy military operations aimed at its main strongholds in Iraq, Daesh terrorists frequently target various neighborhoods of Baghdad, particularly those populated by Shia Muslims, to undermine government efforts to maintain security.

Baghdad was the scene of back-to-back bombings claimed by the Daesh terror group last month, when nearly 200 people lost their lives in and near the city in just a week.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Daesh terrorists mounted an offensive in the country in June 2014.

Iraqi government forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units, have been pushing the militants out of the country’s territory.