Woman suicide bomber kills 30 in Iraqi market attack claimed by IS
A woman detonated her explosive belt in a market east of the Shia holy city of Kerbala on Friday, killing at least 30 and wounding 35, Iraqi security sources said.
Islamic State claimed the attack in the town of Musayab, in a statement on its Amaq news agency, without identifying the attacker.
A security officer said the assailant was a woman who hid the bomb under the customary full-body veil.
The attack comes as Islamic State is about to lose Mosul, the de-facto capital of the hardline Sunni Muslim group in Iraq, to a US-backed Iraqi offensive launched in October.
Iranian-backed paramilitaries are taking part in the campaign fighting Islamic State in Iraq, attacking the group in the border region near Syria.
Attacks in late May, also claimed by IS, killed at least 35 civilians in Baghdad.
The militant group had vowed to increase attacks during the holy month of Ramadan.
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