A parked car in central Baghdad exploded killing ten people and wounding 66 on Friday, police said. The victims of the blast were performing prayers at the time.ReuterÂ’s witnesses saw a cloud of smoke rising over the area at a busy traffic intersection on the east side of the Tigris River in the centre of the Iraqi capital Friday prayers. At least one woman and one child were among the dead.
The attack occurred at around 1:00 pm (1000 GMT) in the Iraqi capitalÂ’s Bab al-Sharji market which is popular for trading food and clothes, security officials said.
Medics in BaghdadÂ’s Al-Kindi and Ibn Nafis hospitals confirmed the toll. An AFP journalist said security forces sealed off the area, which is also close to the interior ministry and houses one of BaghdadÂ’s main bus stations. The Bab al-Sharji market has been a regular target of insurgents, and on Friday it was packed with shoppers on their way home after weekly prayers.
Insurgents have attacked markets across Iraq, particularly in Baghdad, in a bid to inflict maximum casualties.