Iraqi officials: Explosion at busy Baghdad market wounds 15

An explosion struck a busy market in Baghdad on Wednesday, wounding at least 15 people, Iraqi security officials said.

The Iraqi military confirmed the blast without providing details.

The explosion was heard in a market in Sadr City, a suburb in the eastern part of the capital. The military did not elaborate on casualties or the extent of the damage.

Two security officials had initially said at least nine people were wounded in the blast. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

It was the second time this year that an explosion hits a market in the densely populated neighbourhood. In April, at least four people were killed in a car bomb attack in Sadr City. That blast was caused by an explosive device attached to a parked car at the market.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused Wednesday’s explosion. Large bomb attacks, once an almost daily occurrence in Baghdad, have slowed in recent years since the Islamic State group was defeated in 2017.

But attacks persist. In January, over 30 people were killed in a twin suicide bombing in a busy commercial area in central Baghdad. It was the most deadly bombing in three years to strike Iraq’s capital.

Roadside bombs continue to target primarily Iraqi security forces outside the capital, especially across northern Iraq where IS militants are known to have hideouts.