The Iraqi security announced that at least 55 people have been killed and 70 others injured in a car bomb targeting a market south of Baghdad, while Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has assigned Hashd el-Shaabi "Popular Mobilization Forces" to secure the Iraqi-Syrian borders.
A car packed with explosives blew up near car dealerships in the Shiite area of Bayaa in the south of the city. More than 50 people were injured.
The Islamic State (IS) group claimed the attack, saying it targeted "a gathering of Shiite". At least 24 people were killed in other attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Baghdad saw a wave of deadly suicide attacks by IS in the first few days of 2017, but the number had dropped until recently. Security sources said the bomb was detonated in a busy street and was the deadliest attack in Baghdad for several months. A plume of smoke from the blast could be seen above the Bayaa neighborhood for much of the day.
Medics have warned the number of fatalities and injuries could rise as they struggle to cope with scores of people wounded in the attack.
It is thought that car dealerships may present convenient targets for the militants because it is easy for them to leave vehicles laden with explosives alongside lots of other vehicles that are also parked in the same area.
The ISIS group has stepped up its attacks since the Iraqi army, aided by US-led coalition strikes, launched its campaign to dislodge the Sunni militant group from its stronghold of Mosul in the north four months ago. The militants now control the west of the city, while the eastern part is held by Iraqi forces and their allies.

source : gulfnews