Dozens dead as suicide attack hits Shia tent in Baghdad

*UPDATES DEATH TOLL

By Ibrahim Salih

BAGHDAD (AA) - At least 34 people were killed in a suicide bombing that targeted Shias in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Saturday, according to security and medical sources.

A bomber blew up his explosive vest inside a mourning tent in Baghdad’s northern al-Shaab district, police officer Zahir al-Aaraji said.

The bombing has left 34 people dead and injured 38 others, medic Muayed Ahmed told Anadolu Agency.

Daesh terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement circulated on Twitter.

Shias are taking part in mourning rituals commemorating the killing of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein, in the 7th century.

The Iraqi capital has in recent months seen bloody attacks -- which often target civilians -- on an almost daily basis.

The Iraqi authorities blame the violence on Daesh, which still enjoys a significant presence in war-torn Iraq despite having suffered a string of recent military defeats.

Iraq’s security situation has deteriorated markedly since mid-2014, when Daesh captured Mosul -- the country’s second largest city -- along with vast swathes of territory in the country’s north and west.