74 dead, including 7 Iranians, in south Iraq attack: new toll

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This picture shows burnt out vehicles after gunmen and suicide car bombers killed dozens of people in two assaults claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group jihadists near the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah on September 14, 2017. The attackers struck at midday, opening fire on a restaurant before getting into a car and blowing themselves up at a nearby security checkpoint, officials said. / AFP/

NASIRIYA, Iraq (AFP) — Gunmen and suicide car bombers killed at least 74 people, including seven Iranians, near the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriya on Thursday, an official said, giving an updated toll.

“There are now 74 deaths and 93 wounded,” Abdel Hussein al-Jabri, deputy health chief for the mainly Shiite province of Dhiqar, said of the attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

That was up from the previous toll of 52 dead and 91 wounded in what was already the deadliest IS attack in Iraq since pro-government forces drove the jihadists out of second city Mosul in July.

© Agence France-Presse