ISIS car bomb kills 63 people, injures dozens in Shiite market area

A car bomb ripped through a commercial area in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least 63 people and wounding dozens in an attack that was swiftly claimed by the extremist Islamic State group, Associated Press reported.

The bomb struck a crowded outdoor market in Baghdad’s eastern district of Sadr City, and left up to 85 people wounded, several seriously, prompting fears the death toll could rise further, officials said.

The market is one of the main four outdoor shopping venues in Sadr City, a sprawling slum that is home to about 2.5 million residents — almost half of Baghdad’s population of around 6 million. The open-air markets sell a range of goods, from food to household items, to clothes and other merchandise.