Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for the blasts that took place, north of Tikrit, which left many people killed and injured.

The media-arm of IS, Amaq news agency, said 17 personnel of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) were killed, while 30 others were wounded in an ambush at Asdeira village in Shirqat town.

On Thursday, Ali Dawdah, mayor of Shirqat, said in a statement, “ten people were killed, while 14 others were wounded as explosives went off while digging tombs, on Wednesday night. The bombs were planted in a grave in Asdeira village in western Shirqat, north of Salahuddin.”

Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country.

A total of 104 Iraqi civilians and policemen were killed, while 177 others were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in March, according to casualty figures by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Thousands of IS militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.

In December, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members. </s> IS claims responsibility for Iraq blast that killed 8

BAGHDAD (AP) — The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a Baghdad market the previous day that killed 8 people.

The extremist group released a statement early on Friday saying the bomber detonated his explosives vest at the Jamila marketplace in Baghdad's sprawling Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City on Thursday evening. Fifteen people were wounded.

Iraq's security agencies have invested heavily in securing Baghdad, the country's capital, even as insurgents continue to stage attacks in the countryside.

Iraqis are out late during the holy month of Ramadan, when observant Muslims fast from dawn till sundown.

Hakim al-Zamily with the Sadrist political movement, which enjoys wide support in Sadr City, said lax security was to blame and that IS cells are taking advantage of slackened security measures in Baghdad. </s> BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State claimed responsibility on Thursday for a blast in Baghdad, saying a suicide bomber had detonated an explosive vest in the northeastern Sadr City district of the Iraqi capital and killed eight people.

“He, thanks to God almighty, entered into a gathering of infidels ... and detonated his vest, killing eight and wounding more than 10 others,” the group said in a statement. </s> Suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group killed at least 25 people and wounded more than 50 in two cities north of Baghdad on Sunday, officials said.

One bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle at the southern entrance to Tikrit, while another other blew up an ambulance at a car park in Samarra, possibly in concert with a third bomber.

The Tikrit attack killed at least 15 people and wounded at least 33, while at least 10 died and at least 25 were wounded in Samarra, security and medical officials said. Iranian pilgrims were among the victims in Samarra, which is home to a major Shia shrine that was bombed in 2006.

IS issued a statement claiming responsibility, identifying two of the bombers as “Al-Moslawi” — a nom de guerre that would indicate they were from Mosul, though it could be a propaganda attempt to link militants from other areas with the ongoing battle for Iraq’s second city. </s> BAGHDAD—Islamic State has claimed a suicide bombing that killed at least 15 people and injured 16 at a wedding party near the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala late on Sunday.

Five assailants including the suicide bomber attacked the celebration in Ain al-Tamr, west of Kerbala in southern Iraq, firing machine guns and throwing hand grenades, the police said. All the attackers were killed by security forces.

The bombing is the first in the Kerbala region since Iraqi forces dislodged Islamic State militants from their stronghold in Falluja, 50 miles north of city.

The ultra-hardline Sunni group has been retreating since last year in the face of government forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition and Iranian-supported Shi'ite militias.

But it remains in control of parts of northern and western Iraq and continues to claim bombings all over the country, targeting mainly Shi'ite districts and cities.

A statement on the Amaq news agency that supports Islamic State said the attack was carried out by four of its suicide fighters against a "gathering of Shi'ites".

Initial reports in local media late, citing security sources, blamed the killings on a dispute between two tribes at the wedding party.

Islamic State claimed a truck bomb that killed at least 325 people in Baghdad's Karrada shopping street in July, the deadliest attack since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. </s> BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State has claimed a suicide bombing that killed at least 15 people and injured 16 at a wedding party near the holy Shi’ite city of Kerbala late on Sunday.

Five assailants including the suicide bomber attacked the celebration in Ain al-Tamr, west of Kerbala in southern Iraq, firing machine guns and throwing hand grenades, the police said. All the attackers were killed by security forces.

The bombing is the first in the Kerbala region since Iraqi forces dislodged Islamic State militants from their stronghold in Falluja, 80 km (50 miles) north of city.

The ultra-hardline Sunni group has been retreating since last year in the face of government forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition and Iranian-supported Shi’ite militias.

But it remains in control of parts of northern and western Iraq and continues to claim bombings all over the country, targeting mainly Shi’ite districts and cities.

A statement on the Amaq news agency that supports Islamic State said the attack was carried out by four of its suicide fighters against a “gathering of Shi’ites”.

Initial reports in local media late, citing security sources, blamed the killings on a dispute between two tribes at the wedding party.

Islamic State claimed a truck bomb that killed at least 325 people in Baghdad’s Karrada shopping street in July, the deadliest attack since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. </s> BAGHDAD -- Iraqi officials say a pair of suicide bombers detonated their explosives belts at a checkpoint south of Baghdad, killing nine people, including four members of the security forces.

The police and hospital officials said the Sunday attack near the holy Shiite city of Najaf also wounded 22.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which bore the hallmarks of Islamic militants.

The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

It came one day after two suicide bombers killed at least 28 people at a Baghdad market.

That attack was claimed by the Islamic State group.

Baghdad has seen near-daily attacks blamed on Islamic militants since 2003. </s> The Islamic State launched multiple attacks in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities at the turn of the year that have killed scores of people.

At least 35 people were killed and dozens of others wounded by an explosion in a packed square in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad on January 2.

The blast from a car bomb occurred at an intersection in the northeastern Shi'ite neighborhood of Sadr City and reportedly struck a place where many day laborers wait for jobs.

In another attack in Samarra, 100 kilometers north of Baghdad, officials said multiple gunmen wearing suicide vests took over two police stations late on January 2, killing at least seven policemen. Security forces said they regained control after killing six militants.

IS, which has been locked in a bitter battle with government forces for control of the northern city of Mosul, claimed responsibility for both attacks via its Amaq news agency.

Other IS attacks in Baghdad in recent days targeted predominantly Shi'a areas.

Three bombs killed 29 people in the capital on December 31 and an attack by two suicide bombers at a checkpoint the following day in the southern city of Najaf -- a holy city for Shi'a -- killed at least eight people.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP </s> ISIS Claims Responsibility for Truck Bomb Attack That Killed at Least 60 in Iraq (ABC News)

A truck bomb left dozens dead and injured in an attack apparently targeted at Shia religious pilgrims on Thursday in the Iraqi city of Hilla -- 60 miles south of Baghdad.

The exact death toll is uncertain. Iraqi police have said that 60 people have died and 25 are wounded, while the head of the Babylon provincial security committee told ABC News earlier that more than 70 were killed and 20 wounded. The White House said "initial reports indicate at least 80 people" are dead.

Falah al-Radhi, the provincial security chief, told ABC News that many of the dead were Iranian Shia pilgrims who were taking part in an Arba'een pilgrimage -- an annual religious event in the holy city of Karbala.

Iraqi and Afghan citizens were also among the wounded and dead, according to police officials.

ISIS, which is associated loosely with Sunni Islam, took credit for the attack in a short statement made through its Amaq News Agency.

Al-Radhi said that a fuel tanker was used to attack a gas station near the city of Hilla. Police officials said the blast was so big that it destroyed most of the gas station and damaged buildings 150 yards away from the epicenter.

The U.S. State Department said that initial reports stated that some of the victims were sitting together and enjoying a meal when the attack happened.

The White House condemned the attack, saying: "The United States extends its deepest sympathies to the families of the victims, as well as to all of Iraq, for this senseless violence, which was clearly intended to stoke sectarian tensions."

The State Department echoed the White House, saying it condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms." The department added: "These murders are yet another example of Daesh's contempt for human life and its efforts to sow discord and division among the Iraqi people."

Arba’een commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the prophet Muhammad’s grandson. Traditionally, the event sees Shia observers march from Baghdad to Karbala on foot. According to Euronews, tight security measures had been enacted for this year’s events, with soldiers, ambulances and armored cars escorting pilgrims along the route.

The attack is the latest in a string of deadly bombings across Iraq this year perpetrated by ISIS and aimed at followers of Shia Islam.

In July, an attack on a commercial district reportedly killed more than 300. Car bombings in May reportedly left around 100 dead. In March, an attacking using a fuel tanker truck -- as is the case in today's attack -- left at least 47 dead in Hilla, according to BBC News. And in February, twin suicide bombings killed 70 people in a Shia-dominated district of Baghdad, the Guardian newspaper reported.

Faiq reported from Baghdad, Iraq, while Blake reported from New York. ABC News’ Lena Masri, John Parkinson and Kirit Radia contributed to this report.
Islamic State claim responsibility for bomb attacks on al-Hashd al-Shaabi in Asdeira, Salahuddin, Iraq that killed at least ten.