Iraqi security and medical officials say at least four people have lost their lives and more than a dozen sustained injuries in a spate of bomb attacks in and around the country’s violence-plagued capital.
A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a civilian was killed and six others wounded when a bomb exploded close to a restaurant in Baghdad’s southeastern neighborhood of al-Arifiyah on Monday, Arabic-language al-Baghdadia satellite television network reported.
Additionally, an improvised explosive device went off near a popular market in the al-A’amiriya neighborhood of western Baghdad, leaving two people dead and seven others injured.
A civilian was also killed and five others were injured when a bombing struck a commercial district in the city of Sabaa al-Bour, located approximately 28 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Baghdad.
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq says a total of 714 Iraqis were killed and another 1,269 wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in October alone. According to the UN mission, the number of civilian fatalities stood at 559. Violence also claimed the lives of 155 members of the Iraqi security forces. A great portion of the fatalities was recorded in Baghdad, where 298 civilians were killed.
The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Takfiri Daesh militants began their march through the Iraqi territory in June 2014. Army soldiers and Popular Mobilization units have joined forces and are seeking to take back militant-held regions in joint operations.