Suicide bombing in Baghdad kills 11

BAGHDAD — A suicide car bombing ripped through an outdoor market in a northeastern district of Baghdad on Tuesday morning, killing at least 11 people, officials said, as government forces deployed in most of the Iraqi capital and closed off major roads around the city. The developments came on the heels of two largescale attacks claimed by the Daesh group that killed more than 300 people last week. On Monday, visiting US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Washington will send 560 more troops to Iraq to help battle Daesh. In Tuesday’s bombing, the explosives-laden pickup truck exploded during the morning rush hour at a vegetable and fruit market in the Al-Rashidiya district, a police officer said. The blast killed 11 and wounded up to 32, and also damaged several cars, he added. A medical official confirmed the casualty figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Last week, Daesh killed more than 300 people in two attacks. A massive truck bombing struck a bustling commercial area in Baghdad’s neighborhood of Karada, killing 292 people — one of the deadliest attacks since the 2003 US-led invasion. And last Thursday, an attack at a shrine north of Baghdad killed 37 people. Iraqi government forces deployed across Baghdad on Tuesday, closing off main roads and snarling traffic. The Interior Ministry spokesman, Brig. Gen. Saad Maan, said the troops were “practicing for a planned military parade for a specific occasion.” The recent uptick in Daesh attacks beyond the front lines demonstrated the Daesh group’s ability to launch lethal attacks despite recent territorial losses in both Iraq and Syria. According to Carter, who on Monday met with top Iraqi officials, the new American forces should arrive in the coming weeks. They will primarily be tasked with transforming an air base retaken this month from Daesh into a staging hub for the long-awaited battle to recapture Mosul — Iraq’s second-largest city — from Daesh militants.