23 killed in twin bomb attacks at coffee shop in Iraq's Diyala

BAQUBA, Iraq - Up to 23 people were killed and 44 others wounded on Monday in two coordinated bomb attacks at a coffee shop in a town in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a provincial security source told Xinhua.

The attack occurred in the evening when a roadside bomb went off a crowded coffee shop in the town of Maqdadiyah, some 100 km northeast of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Afterwards, a booby-trapped car detonated at the scene of the first blast, destroying part of the building and several nearby shops, leaving at least 23 people killed and some 44 others wounded, the source said.

The attackers apparently followed the old tactic, which depends on creating an initial explosion to attract security forces and people, then they set off another blast to get heavier casualties, he said.

Earlier, an UNAMI report estimated about 22,370 (7,515 killed and 14,855 injured) in the armed conflict in Iraq during the 12 months of 2015, according to figures obtained from UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).