Bomb Explosion in Baghdad Leaves 28 People Dead

At least 28 people were killed and 66 others wounded in a bomb explosion in a marketplace in eastern Baghdad on Monday.

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A bomb detonated at a crowded popular market in Sadr City, a suburb district of the capital city, before the sunset, destroying several nearby shops and stalls and damaging surrounding buildings.

"The explosion destroyed our shop, and many people here were killed and wounded... All the people here are poor and can hardly make their living," said Haider Gatie, a young man at the marketplace, expressing his anger about the deadly incident.

Deadly bombings have been rare in Baghdad, as the security situation has improved in this nation since the Iraqi security forces fully defeated Islamic State militants across the country late in 2017.

However, Islamic State remnants have since melted into urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the bomb attack and extended his condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Iraq.

"This deadly attack ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday is a reminder to us all that the scourge of terrorism knows no bounds,"he said and underlined the need for the perpetrators of this crime to be swiftly brought to justice.