Suicide bombing, shelling kill 19 in Baghdad: officials

Iraqi security forces inspect the site of a suicide bombing on a bridge in Ramadi, west of Baghdad.Two bombings and shelling in Shi'ite-majority areas of north Baghdad killed at least 19 people on Thursday, security and medical officials said. -
Iraqi security forces inspect the site of a suicide bombing on a bridge in Ramadi, west of Baghdad.Two bombings and shelling in Shi'ite-majority areas of north Baghdad killed at least 19 people on Thursday, security and medical officials said. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Two bombings and shelling in Shi'ite-majority areas of north Baghdad killed at least 19 people on Thursday, security and medical officials said.

In the Shi'ite shrine district of Kadhimiyah, a suicide bombing and shelling killed at least 14 people, while a car bomb in Tobchi killed five more, the officials said.

The attacks wounded more than 40 people.

There was no immediate claim for the attacks, but Sunni extremists, including those from the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, frequently target members of Iraq's Shi'ite majority, whom they consider heretics.

IS-led militants launched a major offensive in June, overrunning large areas north and west of Baghdad and sweeping security forces aside.

Iraqi federal forces, Kurdish fighters, Shi'ite militiamen and Sunni tribesmen are fighting to regain ground from the militants, backed by US air strikes.

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