21 Killed and 41 Injured in ISIS Attack on Mourning Ceremony in Baghdad

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a suicide attack during the funeral of a Shiite militia fighter supportive of the government in Baghdad, resulting in at least 21 deaths and 41 injuries. According to a statement published by ISIS on the internet, the target of the attack, which occurred on Friday, November 13, was a group referred to as 'Rafidis.' This term is used by ISIS to describe Shiite armed groups participating in the fight against them in northern and western Iraq. The suicide bombing coincided with the start of an Iraqi offensive on the city of Ramadi, which is under ISIS control. The Iraqi army announced on Friday that its forces had begun an attack on Ramadi from three axes, but police and government forces reported that progress was slow. The fall of Ramadi to ISIS militants marked the biggest defeat for Iraqi government forces a year after they lost large areas in northern Iraq to militants. Retaking Ramadi, home to about 450,000 residents, would boost the morale of Iraqi forces, especially as the continuous advances of ISIS militants have lowered the morale and motivation of government forces. A local official in Ramadi told Reuters that government forces had entered the southern area of Ramadi, but their advance was slow due to road mining by ISIS militants.