Suicide bombing in Baghdad's Shi'ite mosque - report

Two suicide bombers have blown themselves up in a Shiite mosque in southern Baghdad, according to media outlet Arab News. The number of casualties is not clear yet and there is no immediate claim of responsibility either. The attack was reportedly aimed at a funeral ceremony going on at the mosque. Earlier Monday, a car bomb was also discovered in Al-Na'iriya in northern Baghdad but the police managed to dismantle the bomb before it exploded.

Last month also, there was a suicide blast at a Shi'ite mosque, Imam Mahdi al-Muntadhar in Baladiyat, near the massive and densely-populated district of Sadr City. The explosion took the lives of two and left nine injured.

Iraq has witnessed a rare period of relative calm in recent months after decades of back-to-back conflict, including years of sectarian violence that regularly saw dozens killed in explosions in Baghdad. In 2017, Iraq declared victory against Islamic State, which had also carried out mass attacks against civilians in the capital.

The improved security situation has led officials to dismantle the concrete blast walls, barbed wire, and checkpoints that had become ubiquitous in Baghdad. But occasional hit-and-run attacks have continued.