Iraqis cleaned up the scenes of powerful bombings that left at least 57 people dead on Monday in Diyala, Baghdad and Basra provinces.
At least 57 people were killed on Monday (October 5) in car bomb attacks in Baghdad and the north and south of Iraq, police and medical sources said.
One attack took place near a crowded market in the town of Khalis, about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, killing 35 people, police said.
In the town of Al Zubair, about 15 km (9 miles) southwest of the oil town of Basra, a second attack took place also near a crowded market. 10 people died.
The blast that took place in the centre of the town damaged a number of shops and buildings in the area.
“More than 40 people were killed and wounded and shops were damaged. Is there any military unit here or any soldier? Daesh is targeting civilians only,” said Muhsin Khudier, a resident of area.
Another car bomb exploded in the Hussainiya district of the northern outskirts of Baghdad, killing 12 people, police and medical sources said.
Iraq, a major OPEC oil producer, is struggling to come up with a formula to contain Islamic State, the ultra-hardline Sunni group that controls a third of the country and wants to redraw the map of the Middle East.
Islamic State has previously claimed responsibility for car and suicide bombings. (Reuters)
