ISIS claims responsibility for first major suicide attack in Baghdad in 3 years

In a statement released on Friday, a spokesperson for the Islamic State said that two of their operatives were responsible for the suicide attacks.

According to Reuters, journalists on the scene came upon large pools of blood at the site of Tayaran Square, a popular clothing market in downtown Baghdad where the blast occurred.

This is the first bombing incident of this nature since 2017, when the IS roundly defeated militarily by a coalition of forces. Since that time, they have mostly only been capable of small actions, and the attacks have been returned in kind.

"One (bomber) came, fell to the ground and started complaining 'my stomach is hurting' and he pressed the detonator in his hand. It exploded immediately. People were torn to pieces," said an anonymous source who witnessed the bombing.

Tayaran Square itself was the scene of a similar bombing almost exactly three years ago in Jan. 2018, where at least 27 people were killed in many more wounded at the time.