At least 45 killed in car bombing in Baghdad
Violence has increased since the Iraqi army launched its military campaign to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State.
Thursday 16 February 2017 16:39, UK
At least 45 people have been killed in a car bomb attack in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
Nearly 50 people were injured when the vehicle packed with explosives blew up near car dealerships and workshops in the south of the city in the Bayaa neighbourhood.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the blast.
It is the third bombing in Baghdad in the last three days.
Four other attacks in and around the capital on Thursday killed eight people and wounded around 30, police and medical officials said.
On Wednesday at least 18 people died in another attack on used-car dealerships, and the day before four were killed in an explosion.
IS said it carried out a wave of deadly suicide attacks in the first few days of 2017, but that number had dropped until recently.
It stepped up violence in the capital four months ago as the Iraqi army, aided by US-led coalition airstrikes, launched its campaign to remove it from its Mosul stronghold in the north of the country.
Baghdad police said earlier they had foiled an attack by three suicide bombers.
Jalil al Rubaie, commander of the interior ministry's Baghdad operations, said a joint force of police and intelligence teams trapped the trio in Radwaniya, west of Baghdad.
One was killed and the other two were arrested as they were putting on explosive belts, he said.