Fuente: Financial Times; 03.07.16
Erika Solomon, Middle East Correspondent
A bomb ripped through a shopping district of central Baghdad, killing at least 115 people and undermining claims by officials that recent military gains against Isiswould increase security in the Iraqi capital.
The Islamist group claimed responsibility for the blast which hit the central district of Karrada around midnight — a busy time during the holy month of Ramadan, when many Iraqis go out to shop and eat after fasting throughout the day.
More than 200 people were wounded in the blast, caused by the detonation of explosives packed into a refrigerator truck. Iraqi officials said the death toll was likely to rise as rescuers pulled bodies out of the wreckage.
In a second attack on the same night, a roadside explosive device blew up in a Shia district in the north of the capital killing at least two people.
Members of Iraq’s majority Shia sect are condemned as heretics by Isis, which is a Sunni group.
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show angry bystanders pelting Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s convoy with stones as he visited the Karrada area on Sunday. The reaction was a sign of growing frustration with the government as the country struggled with a worsening economic crisis and growing insecurity.
Mr Abadi declared three days of mourning for the victims, according to state-run media that also cited him saying he understood the angry reaction of residents, according to Reuters.
The US condemned the bombing, saying the attacks would “strengthen our resolve to support Iraqi security forces as they continue to take back territory from [Isis]”.
Last week, Iraqi forces declared that the battle to dislodge Isis from nearby Fallujah was “over”.
Iraqi Shia politicians had been pushing Mr Abadi to prioritise the battle for Fallujah instead of complying with the wishes of the US-led coalition, which had wanted to focus efforts on seizing the main Isis stronghold of Mosul further north. They argued it would help secure Baghdad, as Fallujah was seen as a centre for car bombs used to attack Baghdad. The capital has come under increasing attack by suicide bombers since Iraqi forces, backed by coalition air strikes, began to seize territory from Isis in recent months.
As Isis loses ground, it has been putting more effort into destabilising civilian areas with suicide attacks — not only in Iraq but also abroad, such as recent bombings in Europe, Bangladesh and Turkey, where the group has been blamed for the attack on Istanbul’s airport.
