UN Head Condemns Baghdad Suicide Bomb Attack Claimed by ISIS

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said the people behind a double suicide bomb attack at a market in Baghdad must be brought to justice.

The attack Thursday on a crowded market in the Bab al-Sharji area near Tayaran Square in the Iraqi capital left at least 32 people dead and more than 100 injured. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported. The last large-scale attack was in January 2018 and took place at the same public square in Baghdad.

“The secretary-general appeals to the people of Iraq to reject any attempts to spread fear and violence aimed at undermining peace, stability and unity. He calls on the government to ensure that those behind these horrific crimes are swiftly identified and brought to justice,” Guterres spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

“The secretary-general reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to support the people and government of Iraq in their efforts to consolidate peace,” he also said.

Iraq battled the Islamic State for three years, declaring them vanquished in 2017. But sleeper cells reportedly remain, particularly in the north of the country.