Officials have said 13 people are dead and 24 wounded after a car bomb exploded outside a popular ice cream parlour in Baghdad. The blast occurred just after midnight local time on Tuesday (30 May).

Though reported by some as a suicide blast, officials speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity said that they thought it was caused by remotely detonated explosives inside a parked car.

Isis claimed responsibility for the attack which took place in the first days of the holy month of Ramandan.

As Muslims are not supposed to eat or drink during daylight hours, cafes and restaurants become much busier late into the late during the fasting month.

The attack also came as Iraqi forces continued their assault on ISIS positions in the country's north.

Authorities say that such attacks may become more common as ISIS suffers military defeats. Ramadan is also often a time of increased violence.

Videos from the scene shared on social media showed devastation from the explosion as the wounded attempted to prop themselves on benches and survivors walked in a daze.