ISIS claims responsibility for Baghdad bomb blasts, at least 28 killed
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Iraqi people gather at the site of bomb attack in a busy market area in Baghdad's central al-Sinek neighborhood, Iraq, Saturday, Dec 31, 2016. (AP Photo/ Karim Kadim) (Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
A pair of bomb blasts targeting a market in central Baghdad Saturday killed at least 28 people and wounded at least 54, according to police and medical officials.
The attacks took place early Saturday morning in al-Sinak, a busy market selling car accessories, food and clothes as well as agricultural seeds and machinery.
Details were sketchy in the immediate aftermath. Police at first said a pair of back-to-back roadside bombs exploded. Later a police official said first a roadside bomb exploded, then a suicide bomber detonated his device amid the crowd that had gathered. Finally police concluded that the carnage was the work of a pair of suicide bombers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement posted by its Aamaq news agency, confirming that the blasts came from a pair of suicide bombers.