The IS have claimed an explosion in Baghdad that led to the death of at least 125 people, injuring 150 others.
A car bomb exploded on a busy street in the central district of Karrada late on Saturday.
This being the holy month of Ramadan, shoppers flooded the Shia area.
When Haider al-Abadi, Iraq Prime Minister, visited the area, he was met with angry crowds.
The predominantly Shia area in the north of the capital also experienced a second explosion that killed 5 people.
The bombing in Karrada is the deadliest in Iraq this year.
Repeated IS attacks
These bombings have happened a week after the City of Falluja was recaptured by the Iraqi security forces. The IS militants are believed to have been using the city to attack Baghdad.
The repeat attacks are a dangerous message that the jihadists are sending. They are saying that despite being defeated in the battle field, they are still able to hit back.
IS suffered a serious defeat at the hands of Iraqi forces in Falluja. The town, less than an hour’s drive from Baghdad, has been in their hands since early 2014. IS are showing their supporters, and their enemies, that they are not beaten.
The fact that the streets are crowded at night increases the number of casualties. As the IS continues to bow to the military attacks, one can only expect the worst to happen.
The jihadist group released an online statement claiming responsibility for the attacks.
We condemn the attacks
The Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq referred to the attack as a “bloody crime, regardless of who carried it out or what their motivations were.”
Some sources reveal that a refrigerator van packed with explosives is the cause of the midnight blast.
The most affected in the attacks were children according to the Associated Press report.