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A car bomb in Sadr City, a majority Shiite Neighborhood, killed at least 64 people Wednesday according to local Iraqi sources.The bomb exploded in a busy commercial district at rush hour, also injuring at least 87 people.
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Cars and buildings near the blast site were also heavily damaged, according to a local police official, reported Reuters.
In an online statement Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on a website commonly used by the group. They called the bombing a suicide attack targeting Shiite militiamen. However, the Associated Press said they could not immediately verify the authenticity of the claim.
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Busy public spaces in predominantly Shiite areas are frequently targeted by Sunni groups who aim to undermine the Iraqi government's ability to keep security within Baghdad. In February, 70 people were killed in Sadr City, in eastern Iraq by suicide bombings. The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for that attack.
The fight against Islamic State group has exacerbated a sectarian conflict in Iraq, mostly between the Shiite majority and the Sunni minority. Sectarian violence also threatens to undermine efforts to dislodge the militant group from vast areas of the north and west of Iraq that they seized in 2014.
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