BAGHDAD — The Daesh (the so-called IS) terrorist group claimed responsibility Sunday for a late-night car bomb attack in the heart of Baghdad that killed at least 19 people. The extremist group, however, did not shed any light on accusations by Yazidi lawmakers that it had executed at least 25 prisoners of the minority community in the northern city of Tal Afar. The two car bombs in Baghdad went off about 10 minutes apart late Saturday in the Karrada district, known for its restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlors. Police said the dead and wounded were mainly shoppers. Two traffic policemen were among those killed. The online claim is similar to others the group has issued this past week about bombings in Baghdad, which they describe as revenge for the fighting in nearby Anbar province. Iraqi forces are engaged in a see-saw battle in Anbar against the Daesh militants, who control some 65 percent of the province. The fighting has caused 114,000 residents of the regional capital to flee to Baghdad. — AP
