At least 27 dead in Baghdad bombings

BAGHDAD: At least 27 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in two bombings in Baghdad, security and medical officials said on Tuesday.

In the first attack, a suicide bomber struck near a popular ice cream shop overnight, killing 16 people.

In the second, a car bomb exploded near one of the capital's main bridges on Tuesday morning, killing 11, the officials said.

The Islamic State group issued a statement claiming the first attack, identifying the bomber as an Iraqi.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the second attack, but IS carries out frequent car bombings targeting civilians in the Iraqi capital.

The blasts, which come just a few days into the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, highlight the danger posed by militants even as security forces have dealt them a string of battlefield defeats.