1st LD: At least 3 killed in suicide bombing in downtown Baghdad

At least three people were killed and 15 others injured on Tuesday in a suicide bomb attack in downtown Baghdad, a police officer said.

The attack occurred in the morning when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest at a crowded place in Bab al-Sharji area, where many construction workers were waiting to be hired for temporary jobs, the officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The toll could rise as many people were evacuated by ambulances and civilian cars to different hospitals and medical centers in the city, said the officer.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but such suicide attacks in densely populated areas such as markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq bear the hallmarks of the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Iraq is witnessing a wave of violence since the IS took control of parts of the country in June 2014.

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