Deaths as Baghdad pet market bombed
At least 13 people have been killed and more than 50 wounded in a bomb blast at a pet market in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, police have said.
The bomb, believed to have been hidden in a box containing birds, exploded at the Ghazi market on Friday morning when the area was crowded with people.
A medic at the Al-Kindi hospital said: “We have received 45 people, among them four policemen.
“The ambulances are still arriving.”
The blast comes amid a downturn in violence
Powerful blast
An interior ministry official said some those killed and wounded in the bombing were also transferred to Medical City, another major hospital in Baghdad.The blast is the second powerful bomb attack in Baghdad this week.
Nine people were killed and 20 injured when a car bomb exploded in Baghdad’s Karrada neighbourhood on Sunday.
The Ghazl market, located in the neighbourhood of Al-Jhumuri, has been struck by bombs several times.
Birds, dogs, cats, sheep, goats are sold at the market, as well as snakes and monkeys.
The main attraction is the bird market with has a vast array of birds, including rare species smuggled in from Brazil and Africa