At least 48 people have been killed in Baghdad in the third blast in the Iraqi capital in three days. Security and medical sources say, a car packed with explosives blew up near car dealerships in the southern Bayaa area of the city.
More than 50 people were injured. At least 18 people died in another attack on used-car dealers yesterday and four were killed the day before.
An agency reports that the Islamic State group claimed today’s blast. Baghdad saw a wave of deadly suicide attacks by IS in the first few days of 2017.
The IS group has stepped up its attacks since the Iraqi army, aided by US-led coalition strikes, launched its campaign to dislodge the group from its stronghold of Mosul in the north four months ago.