Debris is scattered at the site of a Friday night suicide car bombing at a busy market in Khan Bani Saad in the Diyala province, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, July 18, 2015. The attack by the Islamic State group on a crowded marketplace in Iraq's eastern Diyala province has killed over 100 people, mostly-Shiite victims, including women and children, in one of the deadliest single attacks in the country in the past decade. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

An attack by the Islamic State group on a crowded marketplace in Iraq's eastern Diyala province has killed 115 people, including women and children, in one of the deadliest single attacks in the country in the past decade.

The mostly-Shiite victims were gathered to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which ended Friday for Iraqi Shiites and a day earlier for Iraqi Sunni Muslims.

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At least 170 people were injured in the attack, police officials said.

Expand Close Civilians inspect a crater caused by a suicide car bombing at a busy market in Khan Bani Saad in the Diyala province, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, July 18, 2015. A suicide car bombing in Iraq's eastern Diyala province killed at least 80 people gathered at a marketplace to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan on Friday. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim) AP / Facebook

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Whatsapp Civilians inspect a crater caused by a suicide car bombing at a busy market in Khan Bani Saad in the Diyala province, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, July 18, 2015. A suicide car bombing in Iraq's eastern Diyala province killed at least 80 people gathered at a marketplace to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan on Friday. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Men quickly emptied boxes of tomatoes to use them for carrying the bodies of small children, witnesses said, while adult victims lay scattered around the attack scene waiting for medical assistance.

"Khan Bani Saad has become a disaster area because of this huge explosion," Diyala resident Sayif Ali said. "This is the first day of Eid, hundreds of people got killed, many injured, and we are still searching for more bodies."

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Iraq's speaker of parliament, Salim al-Jabouri, said today that the attack has struck an "ugly sectarian chord," and added that government is making "attempts to regulate Daesh's terror from destabilising Diyala security," referring to the militant group by its Arabic acronym.

Expand Close Iraqi firefighters work at the site of a deadly Friday night suicide car bombing at a busy market in Khan Beni Saad in the Diyala province, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, July 18, 2015. The attack by the Islamic State group on a crowded marketplace in Iraq's eastern Diyala province has killed over 100 people, mostly-Shiite victims, including women and children, in one of the deadliest single attacks in the country in the past decade. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim) AP / Facebook

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Whatsapp Iraqi firefighters work at the site of a deadly Friday night suicide car bombing at a busy market in Khan Beni Saad in the Diyala province, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, July 18, 2015. The attack by the Islamic State group on a crowded marketplace in Iraq's eastern Diyala province has killed over 100 people, mostly-Shiite victims, including women and children, in one of the deadliest single attacks in the country in the past decade. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

But anger is rife in the volatile province, where a number of towns were captured by the Islamic State group last year. Iraqi forces and Kurdish fighters have since retaken those areas, but clashes between the militants and security forces continue.

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Security forces were out in full force across Diyala today, with dozens of new checkpoints and security protocols immediately implemented in the wake of Friday's attack.

"This horrible carnage is truly outside all boundaries of civilised behaviour," Jan Kubis, the special representative of the United Nations mission in Iraq, said today.

Expand Close Debris is scattered at the site of a Friday night suicide car bombing at a busy market in Khan Bani Saad in the Diyala province, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, July 18, 2015. The attack by the Islamic State group on a crowded marketplace in Iraq's eastern Diyala province has killed over 100 people, mostly-Shiite victims, including women and children, in one of the deadliest single attacks in the country in the past decade. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim) AP / Facebook

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Whatsapp Debris is scattered at the site of a Friday night suicide car bombing at a busy market in Khan Bani Saad in the Diyala province, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, July 18, 2015. The attack by the Islamic State group on a crowded marketplace in Iraq's eastern Diyala province has killed over 100 people, mostly-Shiite victims, including women and children, in one of the deadliest single attacks in the country in the past decade. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

The Sunni militant group has been behind several similar large-scale attacks on civilians or military checkpoints as it seeks to expand its territory. The group currently controls about a third of Iraq and Syria in a self-declared caliphate.

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