The Islamic State (ISIS) group carried out rare attacks in Iraq‘s deep Shiite south Sunday, May 1, killing at least 33 people with twin suicide car bomb blasts in the city of Samawa, AFP reports.
“The hospitals have received 33 dead,” a senior official in the Muthanna health department, which covers Samawa, told AFP. An officer in Muthanna Operations Command confirmed the toll.
They said at least 50 people were also wounded in the blasts in Samawa, 230 kilometers (145 miles) south of Baghdad.
“Two car bombs went off in town. The first one was at around midday near a bus station in the city centre,” a senior police officer in Muthanna province said.
“The other exploded about 5 minutes later, 400 metres from the spot of the first explosion,” he said.
ISIS issued a statement later on social media claiming two suicide attackers detonated their car bombs against members of the security forces.
