2nd LD: 23 killed in two suicide bomb attacks in Iraq's Baghdad

A total of 23 people were killed and 73 others wounded on Thursday in two suicide bomb attacks in the northern and southern parts of Iraqi capital Baghdad, a police source told Xinhua.

One attack occurred in the morning when a suicide bomber detonated his car bomb at a crowded commercial area near a cinema building in al-Jadida, a district in southern Baghdad, killing 19 people and wounding 63 others, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, the source put the toll at seven killed and 30 wounded.

The other attack took place in northern Baghdad when a suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest at the entrance to a military base in Taji area, killing four soldiers and wounding 10 others, the source said.

No group has so far claimed the attacks Thursday, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group has in the past claimed responsibility for similar suicide attacks, targeting the security forces and areas where crowds of people gather, including markets, cafes and mosques, across Iraq.

Government troops and allied paramilitary units have been battling IS militants to recapture territories in northern and western Iraq that were seized by the IS in June 2014.

In May, according to a report by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, 867 Iraqis were killed and 1,459 others wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflicts across Iraq. Endit