Over 30 Killed in Two Suicide Bombings on Friday in Iraq

A suicide bombing in the Maysab area, 30 kilometers east of Karbala, has left dozens dead and injured, while another explosion at a bus station in the city of Karbala has resulted in additional casualties. The suicide attack in Maysab occurred in a crowded market, leaving at least 31 dead and 35 injured. Security sources have identified the suicide bombers as two women, and the Islamic State group, ISIS, has claimed responsibility for the attacks. In the bus station explosion in Karbala on Friday, three people were killed and 15 were injured, with Reuters quoting a security officer stating that the bomber hid the bomb under her shawl. However, ISIS has claimed that the attackers in both explosions were men. The group has taken responsibility for these two explosions while facing attacks from Iraqi forces, supported by the U.S., in recent months in its self-proclaimed capital, Mosul, which is on the verge of losing complete control. In addition to Iraqi government forces, Iranian-backed Shiite militias are also engaged in fighting ISIS in areas near the Syrian border, contributing to operations against the group in Iraq. Raqqa, ISIS's self-proclaimed capital in Syria, is currently under attack from a coalition of U.S.-backed Kurdish forces.