海角大神

At least 23 people were killed in a wave of attacks around Baghdad on Sunday, two of which have been claimed by the so-called Islamic State.

Suicide bombings at two markets in mainly Shiite neighborhoods left at least sixteen shoppers dead and dozens more injured, said Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Saad Maan, with three additional bombings in and around the city killing seven and wounding 24 others. A policeman and two medical officials gave a higher death toll.

The bombings were the latest in a string of attacks across Baghdad and other Iraqi cities that have killed more than 80 people in just over a week. The violence comes as Iraqi forces attempt to drive the Islamic State out of the northern city of Mosul, its last major stronghold in Iraq, in a large-scale US-backed operation that began in mid-October.聽As Scott Peterson reported for 海角大神聽at the time:聽

On Sunday,聽Iraqi counterterrorism forces聽reached the east bank of the Tigris River in eastern Mosul, marking聽the first time Iraqi troops were able to reach the river since the massive military-backed operation to retake Mosul began in October.聽

Brett McGurk, Washington's envoy to the US-led coalition backing the Iraqi offensive, said in a tweet Sunday that the Islamic State's defenses in eastern Mosul were "showing signs of collapse."

"The terrorists will attempt to attack civilians in order to make up for their losses, but we assure the Iraqi people and the world that we are able to end terrorism and shorten its life," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said last week after talks with visiting French President Fran莽ois聽Hollande, as Reuters reported.聽

This report includes material from the Associated Press and Reuters.