Civilian killed, 5 wounded in 2 Baghdad blasts

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) One civilian was killed and five others were wounded Thursday when two explosive devices went off in northern and eastern Baghdad, according to security sources.

Security sources said in press statement that an IED placed near a fish market in al-Khan district, north of te capital, exploded, killing one civilian and wounding four others.

They added that another bomb exploded in Rostomiya, east of Baghdad, beneath a civilian-owned vehicle, causing him wounds.

Violence surged in Iraq with the emergence of Islamic State militants who took over large areas of the country in 2014. Baghdad has been witnessing almost daily bombings targeting civilians and security personnel.

Nobody has claimed responsibility yet for the bombings, but IS militants have said they had been responsible for several bloody explosions and attacks that hit the capital in the past months, bringing the governorate municipal and security officials under critics’ fire.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) said violence in the country left nearly 382 dead, including security members, and 908 injured during January. Baghdad was the most affected province with 128 deaths and 444 injuries, according to the organization.

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 by government forces on that front and to divert attention from group losses.