The Islamic State group on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack at a Shia wedding near Karbala, Iraq, which left 15 people dead. According to local news agency Rubak, at least 16 others were wounded in the attack, which took place in the Ain Tamr district. Several holy shrines are located in the area, and it is frequented by pilgrims through the year.
A total of five suicide bombers detonated their vests in the attack, local authorities said. The militant group posted about it on Amaq, a news agency linked to it, saying four of its bombers had been behind the attack that had targeted a “Shiite gathering”.
According to Reuters, this is the first time the group has bombed the Karbala region since Iraqi forces expelled the militants from Fallujah, previously an Islamic State stronghold. In July, an truck bomb attack claimed by the group had left hundreds dead in Baghdad, the deadliest assault on the country since the United States invaded it in 2003.
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