Death toll from 'deadliest' suicide bombing since Saddam's fall in Baghdad reaches 292

On Thursday, July 8, the Iraqi Ministry of Health announced that the death toll from the suicide bombing on Sunday in Baghdad has reached 192. According to Reuters, this attack, carried out by the Islamic State group and coinciding with the group's retreat in northern and western Iraq, is the deadliest bombing since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime by the U.S. in 2003. In addition to the 292 deaths from this explosion, which occurred in the busy streets of the Shiite-majority Karada shopping district in central Baghdad, more than 200 people have also been injured. An Iraqi Health Ministry spokesperson told Reuters that about 23 of the injured are still hospitalized. Earlier on Thursday, the death toll was reported as 281, but the Iraqi Health Ministry increased the number after adding some missing persons to the casualty list. The ministry states that the identities of 177 of the deceased have not yet been confirmed, and so far, 115 bodies have been handed over to the victims' families. The occurrence of this explosion has caused severe anger among the people, with many accusing the Iraqi government of failing to take necessary security measures. This bombing, which took place in the final days of Ramadan and just before Eid al-Fitr, has overshadowed the joyful atmosphere of this important religious occasion, leaving many people in mourning. Iraqi armed forces and other forces supported by the international coalition have recaptured a large portion of the areas that the Islamic State group seized in 2014 over the past year. In retaliation for their defeats and retreats on the battlefield, the group has intensified attacks on civilians, and experts warn that as the retreats continue, attacks on civilians by this group will increase in the future.