Eleven killed in Baghdad car bombing

Baghdad: At least 11 persons were killed and 35 wounded in a car bomb explosion in downtown Baghdad on Tuesday morning, the Interior Ministry said.

The incident took place when a booby-trapped car exploded at the busy intersection near al-Shuhadaa Bridge, across the Tigris River, in central Baghdad, Xinhua news agency quoted the ministry source as saying.

The blast destroyed several nearby cars and damaged many shops and buildings, he said, adding that three policemen were among the wounded and the rest were civilians.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group, in most cases, is responsible for such assaults.

The attack came hours after a suicide car bombing by the IS near an ice cream parlour in Baghdad killed 11 people and wounded 75 others.

The two attacks occurred while the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS from their major stronghold in the western side of Mosul.