by Rosie Alfatlawi
Less than a year after over 300 were killed in a horrific Ramadan truck bomb attack on the Karrada district of Baghdad, another huge explosion has ripped through the area only days into the 'holy month'.
Local reports suggest the car bomb attack on Monday night targeted a popular ice cream shop, Alfaqma icecream, where many, including children, were swarming to cool down on a hot evening in Ramadan.
At least 15 people are thought to have died in the bombing with dozens injured, the Guardian has reported citing local hospital figures.
Meanwhile, early on Tuesday a separate explosion shook the Directorate of Public Pensions in the center of the city. It is likely that some of those affected are older people, as retired Iraqis are required to visit the directorate to arrange to withdraw their pensions.
Breaking: Live pictures now. Another explosion in Baghdad, near the Retirement [Directorate]
Karrada is a sophisticated and fairly affluent area of the Iraqi capital, with large Shia and significant Christian populations. This has made it a target for Daesh attacks in the past, including the July 4 bombing last year.
Images shared on social media showed the devastation of the area where many had been sitting in cafes, enjoying staying up late before returning to their fast at dawn.
Early pictures of the terrorist explosion near Alfaqma Icecream in Karrada .....
A young man's hat, an old woman's sandal and ice-cream cups. When you see this you know how cheap your soul is in this country.
Videos also showed the panic at nearby hospitals where the injured were received.
An unspeakable tragedy. Sheikh Zayed Emergency Hospital... May God have mercy on the martyrs and [we wish for the] the speedy recovery of the wounded. Shame on the terrorists and those who support them and their actions.
Others also went online following the attack to ask why the government and security services had not offered better protection.
Early picture of the explosion in Karrada. Every year at the beginning and end of Ramadan they bomb us. When will this neglect by the government and the security forces responsible for the Karrada area end?
The attacks come only days after the telecoms company Zain used images of the 2016 Karrada tragedy in their Ramadan advert, which called upon Muslims to “bomb hatred with love” and reject extremist violence.
Brett McGurk, a US diplomat coordinating the international coalition fighting Daesh tweeted the following.
ISIS terrorists tonight in Baghdad target children & families enjoying time together at an ice cream shop. We stand w/Iraq against this evil
— Brett McGurk (@brett_mcgurk) May 29, 2017
The Karrada attack has been claimed by Daesh, whose fighters are increasingly under pressure from Iraqi troops and volunteer forces in their shrinking strongholds in the north of the country. One report just yesterday even suggested that the Iraqi authorities expected victory in Mosul by the end of the week.
Defeating random terror attacks in the country - a regular occurrence for more than a decade - will take much longer, however.
RA
