1st LD: At least 9 killed in suicide car bomb in eastern Baghdad

At least nine people were killed and 30 others wounded on Wednesday in a suicide car bomb attack at a Shiite bastion in eastern Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, a police source told Xinhua.

The attack took place shortly before sunset when a suicide bomber blew his explosive-laden KIA minibus at Habibiyah commercial area for selling cars in the heavily populated neighborhood of Sadr City, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The massive explosion set fire, destroyed many civilian cars and caused damages to many shops and buildings, the source said.

The death toll could rise as ambulances, police and civilian vehicles were evacuating the victims to the town's hospital and medical centers, it added.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group, in most cases, is responsible for such suicide attacks targeting crowded areas, including markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq.

Terrorist acts, violence and armed conflicts killed 382 Iraqis and wounded 908 others in January across Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said.

The attacks came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS militants from its last major stronghold in and around Mosul. Endit