IS bombings in Baghdad, near Iraqi capital kill at least 24

A wave of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group targeted commercial areas in and around Baghdad today, killing at least 24 people in attacks that came as Iraqi troops poised to recapture Fallujah, a city held by the extremists group west of Iraq's capital.

The bombings by IS, which has been behind several recent deadly attacks in Baghdad and beyond, are seen as an attempt by the militants to distract the security forces' attention away from the front lines.

The Iraqi military, backed by paramilitary troops and aerial support from the US-led coalition, launched the operation to dislodge the militants from Fallujah about a week ago but have still to start the final push into the city center.

The deadliest of today's attacks took place in the northern, Shiite-dominated Shaab neighborhood of Baghdad where a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a checkpoint next to a commercial area, killing eight civilians and three soldiers.
The explosion also wounded up to 14 people, a police officer said.

A suicide car bomber struck an outdoor market in the town of Tarmiyah, about 50 kilometers north of Baghdad, killing seven civilians and three policemen, another police officer said, adding that 24 people were wounded in that bombing.

And in Baghdad's eastern Shiite Sadr City district, a bomb motorcycle went off at a market, killing three and wounding 10, police said. Medical officials confirmed casualty figures.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to release information.

In an online statement, IS claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they targeted members of the Shiite militias and a government office. The Associated Press could not verify the authenticity of the statement but it was posted on a militant website commonly used by extremists.

Fallujah is one of the last major IS strongholds in western Iraq. The extremist group still controls territory in the country's north and west, as well as Mosul, Iraq's second largest city.