The January 2021 Baghdad bombings were a pair of terrorist attacks that occurred on 21 January 2021, carried out by two suicide bombers at an

open-air market A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...

in central Baghdad, Iraq. They killed at least 32 people and injured another 110. This was the Iraqi capital’s first terrorist attack since 2019.

Background

Since late 2017, the period in which the Islamic State was defeated, terrorist attacks in Iraq became rare. From 2003 to 2017, attacks were common in the entire country, with Baghdad and nearby cities being the main targets. The last major deadly attack against civilians, during the post-war period, occurred in January 2018 at the same location, leaving at least 35 people dead.

Attack

In the early hours of the morning, a clothing market in Tayaran Square, central Baghdad, was crowded as people were shopping after the market recently reopened, after being closed for about a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq. An attacker entered and yelled “My stomach is hurting!" in Arabic. As nearby people got close to him, he pressed a detonator in his hand and blew himself up, killing several people. A second suicide bomber then struck and killed 32 civilians and wounded more than 110 others. Several of these civilians were in critical condition.

Responsibility

Amaq News Agency Amaq News Agency ( ar, وكالة أعماق الإخبارية) is a news outlet linked to the Islamic State (IS). Amaq publishes news reports about claims of responsibility for terrorist attacks in Western countries. It is often the "first poi ...

credited Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant bombers. The claim, which was released hours after the attack, stated that the organization targeted Shia Muslims. This was later backed up by an official statement from ISIL claiming responsibility for both attacks.

Aftermath

The Kata'ib Hezbollah militia accused the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia of being responsible for the attack, vowing to transfer the "battle" into Saudi Arabia. On 22 January 2021, missile and drone strikes targeted Saudi capital Riyadh. Iraqi militia “The True Promise Brigades” claimed responsibility and said the attacks were done as revenge for the bombings done by ISIL, which they accuse Riyadh of supporting. Saudi government held the Yemeni Houthi movement responsible but the Houthis denied launching the strike. On 28 January,

Abu Yasser al-Issawi Abu Yasser al-Issawi ( ar, أبو ياسر العيساوي, Abū Yāsir al-ʿĪsāwī; born Jabbar Salman Saleh Ali Al-Issawi, ar, جابر سلمان صالح علي العيساوي, 1978 – 28 January 2021) was a senior ISIS commander and ...

, a senior ISIS commander, was killed by Iraqi Armed Forces in Al-Chai Valley, southern

Kirkuk Kirkuk ( ar, كركوك, ku, کەرکووک, translit=Kerkûk, , tr, Kerkük) is a city in Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate, located north of Baghdad. The city is home to a diverse population of Turkmens, Arabs, Kurds, ...

International reactions

Bahrain, Canada, Egypt, France, Iran, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Tunisia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the United States, Yemen, as well as the partially recognised

State of Palestine Palestine ( ar, فلسطين, Filasṭīn), Legal status of the State of Palestine, officially the State of Palestine ( ar, دولة فلسطين, Dawlat Filasṭīn, label=none), is a state (polity), state located in Western Asia. Officiall ...

condemned the attacks. The Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the attack with the Secretary-General Nayef Al-Hajraf “offering condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.”

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baghdad bombings, 2021 2021 murders in Iraq 2021 bombings 21st-century mass murder in Iraq ISIL terrorist incidents in Iraq Islamic terrorist incidents in 2021 January 2021 crimes in Asia Marketplace attacks in Iraq Mass murder in 2021 2021 bombings Suicide bombings in 2021

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...