ISIS has claimed twin attacks on the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Tuesday that killed more than 20 people during the holy month of Ramadan.
New agencies citing anonymous officials reported that between 13 and 15 people were killed — including children — and dozens more were injured when a car bomb was detonated near a busy ice cream shop in the city's Karrada commercial district just after 12 a.m. Tuesday morning (5 p.m. ET Monday).
Explosion in Karrada, Baghdad tonight near a popular ice cream shop. No respite from ISIS even in the holy month of… https://t.co/J2eUiph6Dp
Images of the scene emerged on social media in the hours after the attack, showing the pavement covered in ice cream, blood, and debris.
Families at an ice cream shop in #baghdad were murdered today, blown up to pieces by #isis terrorists. Stand with… https://t.co/sngl6FZEjP
CCTV footage of the moment the bomb was detonated also began to circulate.
#عاجل لحظة الانفجار في #بغداد من خلال كامرة مراقبة في احد المباني القريبة لاحظ شدة الانفجار و عدد السيارات والمواطن… https://t.co/UK7nru219C
Other videos from the scene showed a significant number of injured people lying on the ground and on benches outside the shop, and a young girl wandering around in a daze, AP reported.
As Muslims fast in daylight hours during Ramadan, families will often stay up into the early hours of the morning and visit shops and eateries such as the one targeted in the attack. In recent years, Ramadan has seen an increase in violence in Iraq.
ISIS claimed the attack on its Amaq news outlet, saying it targeted a "gathering of Shia," the majority Muslim group in Iraq, whom the militants consider to be heretic, Al Jazeera reported.
US diplomat Brett McGurk — an envoy of the global coalition to counter ISIS — condemned the bombing on Twitter.
ISIS terrorists tonight in Baghdad target children & families enjoying time together at an ice cream shop. We stand w/Iraq against this evil
Hours after the bomb on the ice cream shop, a second car bomb was detonated near a government building in the city's Karkh district, killing 10 people, Reuters reported.