Sept. 10, 2014: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Baghdad, Iraq. Kerry is traveling to the mideast this week to discuss ways to bolster the stability of the new Iraqi government and combat the Islamic State militant group that has taken over large swaths of Iraq and Syria. (AP)
BAGHDAD – Twin car bombs near pet and vegetable markets in Baghdad killed 13 people Wednesday, Iraqi officials said.
Police officials said the two car bombs exploded simultaneously in the southeastern neighborhood of New Baghdad on Wednesday, killing 13 people, including three traffic policemen. Another 28 people were wounded and several cars were damaged in the attack.
Medical officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.
The attack comes after the Islamic State group captured large swaths of territory in western and northern Iraq in a lightning offensive earlier this year, plunging the country into its worst crisis since U.S. troops left at the end of 2011.
Washington has urged Iraq's feuding factions to set aside their differences in order to confront the insurgency.
The country's once dominant Sunni minority has long complained of being marginalized and discriminated against, and Sunni grievances with Baghdad are seen as one of the main factors fueling the rise of the Islamic State group.
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