51 People Killed By Car Bombs In Baghdad Markets
A trio of car bombs in Baghdad killed at least 51 people on Wednesday, according to Iraqi police.
The attacks were launched in crowded markets in predominantly Shiite areas of the city, Reuters reports.
A pair of bombs exploded nearly simultaneously Wednesday evening in Sadr City. Later, another explosive-laden car was set off in the nearby neighborhood of Ur, according to the Lebanese Daily Star.
A group known as the Islamic State, or Isis, has taken over parts of Iraq and Syria, stopping a few dozen miles from Baghdad in June.
As we reported on Morning Edition, ISIS has been fighting for control of Kurdish areas in northern Iraq.
Although Baghdad remains in the hands of the central government, violence there has been extreme, mostly in Shiite neighborhoods.
The death toll in Iraq was more than 1,600 in July, including more than 1,400 civilians.
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