One killed, five wounded in another blast in Baghdad

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) One person was killed, five others were wounded in a bomb blast that occurred in southern Baghdad, a police source said.

“A bomb, placed near a popular market in Sadr al-Yusufiyah region, exploded on Wednesday leaving one person killed and five others injured,” the source told AlSumaria News.

Earlier on Wednesday, news reports said three civilians were wounded as an IED blast took place in Taji district, northern Baghdad.

Violence and armed conflicts claimed the lives of 317 Iraqis, and caused injuries to 403 others during the month of April, according to a monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

The total figure of victims signalled a drop from 1115 victims in March.

Nineveh, where U.S.-backed Iraqi government troops are caught up in battles against Islamic State militants in Mosul since October, came on top of the most affected governorate, with 276 casualties (153 killed, 123 injured). Baghdad Governorate came next with 55 killed and 179 injured. Salahuddin came third, with 15 killed and 43 injured.

Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State Sunni extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

IS is believed to have begun escalation of attacks outside Mosul, where the group has been losing ground and personnel since October