On the morning of 21 January 2021, two suicide bombings occurred at a crowded open-air market in Tayaran Square, located in central Baghdad. Reports indicate that an assailant entered the market, claimed to be sick and asked for help, then detonated the explosives. Another assailant then arrived at the scene on a motorcycle and detonated an explosives-laden belt. According to the minister of health, at least 32 people were killed and 110 others were wounded in the blasts. Authorities mobilized medical and security personnel across the Baghdad area following the bombings. Iraqi officials shut down the Green Zone shortly after the attack as a precautionary measure.
Analyst Comment: The death toll is expected to increase, as many of the wounded are in critical condition. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings, although Iraqi military officials noted that the Islamic State (IS) group likely perpetrated the attack. The group conducted similar attacks in Baghdad in the past, but such bombings have become increasingly rare in the city over the past three years. In January 2018, two suicide bombers detonated explosive devices at Tayaran Square, killing 38 people and wounding 105 others. IS claimed responsibility for that attack.
