Two explosions in Diyala province come in same region of an attack, also claimed by the terror group, which killed 115 last month

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

At least 58 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded in two blasts in eastern Iraq in a province once considered mostly free of such dangers. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In January, Iraqi officials declared victory over the insurgents in Diyala province, which borders Iran, after security forces and Shi’ite paramilitaries drove them out of towns and villages. But the militants have remained active.

The explosion took place on Monday at a market in Huwaidar, about 2.5 miles north of the provincial capital of Baquba, police and medical sources said.

“The attacker managed to pass a checkpoint by lining up with a wedding motorcade and then split off with his explosives packed vehicle to blow it up in a crowded marketplace,” said the Diyala police captain, Mohammed al-Tamimi.

Isis, which controls large parts of northern and western Iraq, claimed responsibility for the attack in the mixed Sunni-Shia province and said the target was “rejectionists”, as the group refers to Shias.

A separate blast to the east of Baquba killed a further seven people and wounded 25. Isis said it had targeted a checkpoint manned by the army and volunteers from the Hashid Shaabi – an umbrella group for mainly Shia militias fighting the jihadi group.

The attacks took place less than a month after a bombing claimed by Isis in the nearby town of Khan Bani Saad, which killed more than 100 people and prompted riots.

Security forces and militia groups are currently focused on routing Isis from the western province of Anbar, where they have been gearing up for an offensive to retake the sprawling Sunni heartland.