Death toll from Iraq's twin bombings rises to 53

The death toll from back-to-back bombings at a busy marketplace in Baghdad on Sunday, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, climbed to 53, an Iraqi Interior Ministry source said on Monday.

"The latest official report about casualties from Sunday's bombings at Mreidy Market in Sadr City district rose to 53 killed and 117 others wounded," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The attacks started in the afternoon when a booby-trapped motorcycle went off at the crowded popular marketplace in the predominantly Shiite district of Sadr City in the eastern part of the Iraqi capital, the source said.

Minutes later, a suicide bomber blew up his explosive vest at the scene, the source added.

The attackers apparently followed the old tactic of creating an initial explosion to attract security forces and people, and then setting off another blast to inflict heavier casualties.

Hours later, the IS claimed responsibility for the two bomb attacks, according to an online statement, whose authenticity could not be independently verified.

The IS has frequently targeted areas where crowds of people gather, including markets, cafes and mosques, across Iraq.

Iraq is currently witnessing a fresh wave of violence since the IS group took control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions in June 2014.

Earlier, a UN report estimated that more than 22,300 people were killed or injured in armed conflicts in Iraq in 2015.

Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups such as the IS on the U.S., which invaded Iraq in March 2003 under the pretext of seeking to destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the country.

The U.S. invasion led to the ouster and eventual execution of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but no WMD was found. Endit