21 dead and 42 wounded after Baghdad car bomb targets Shi'ite pilgrims

Officials in Baghdad, Iraq, have said that at least 21 people are dead and 42 wounded after a car bomb exploded in the south-east of the city on Saturday, 30 April. AP reports that police sources said the bomb was targeting Shi'ite pilgrims on their way to the holy Kadhimiyah shrine, while Iraqi security forces have said the target was an open-air market.

The sources spoke to AP on condition of anonymity as they are not permitted to speak to the press. The two narratives could not be immediately reconciled, according to AP.

No group has as yet claimed responsibility for the attack but Islamic State (Isis) has been known to carry out similar attacks. The Kadhimiyah mosque is a shrine in Shi'ite Islam, thousands of Shi'ite pilgrims are expected to visit in the coming days to commemorate the death of Imam Moussa Al-Kadhim.

Attacks in the last month have killed over 40 civilians in Baghdad.