IS Claims First Baghdad Bombing In 3 Years, Group Becoming Bolder

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the twin suicide bombing in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, which claimed the lives of at least 32 civilians and injured numerous others.

• The attack was the first suicide bombing to hit Baghdad in almost three years, with IS having been driven from operations in the city by the US-led coalition and Iraqi forces in 2017.
• With the US continuing its troop drawdown there are now likely to be concerns that IS may be seeking to ramp up its terrorist activities in Baghdad. The north of Iraq has already seen an uptick in IS violence in 2020 and 2021 as the gov't dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing the group to become bolder in its attacks (both with regards to frequency and location).
• PM Mustafa Al-Kahhimi fired the chief of federal police and the director of intelligence and counterterrorism in the aftermath of the attack, vowing that the incidents were a security breach and 'will not be repeated'. He added that the gov't was working on a 'comprehensive security plan'.