Baghdad Car Bombs, Motorcycle Bomb Near Green Zone Kill 22

Two car bombs and a motorcycle bomb exploded in Iraq Friday, killing at least 22 people and wounding at least 55. At least three vehicles exploded. Two were in popular marketplaces in Kirkuk and Mahmoudiyah and the third was in the central Baghdad neighborhood of Karada, according to Agence-France Press. Witnesses told the news agency the Karada attack took place outside a Shia mosque, very close by a busy streets with shops, restaurants and civilian cars.

Karada is near the International Zone, commonly known as the Green Zone, which is currently run by Iraqi government forces. The Green Zone is also home to many U.S. contractors and Karada is just across the Tigris River from the U.S. Embassy. It is only a nine-minute drive without traffic, according to Google Maps.

It is still unclear who carried out the bombings. Karada has been under heavy fire recently as Sunni tribes and Shia militia aligned with the government not only battle each other, but also try to regain territory from the Islamic State group. Meanwhile in Kirkuk, militants from the Islamic State have been clashing with Kurdish forces since early last month.

Friday’s explosion came a day after another large attack in Baghdad that killed at least 28 people and wounded dozens of others. The Islamic State group carried out the attack with mortar shells, a car bomb and several attempted suicide attacks, according to the Institute for the Study of War.