An Al-Qaeda group has claimed responsibility for a wave of bombings across Baghdad that killed more than 70 people and wounded over 200 people.
In a statement issued on August 30, the so-called "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" said Shi'ite neighborhoods across Baghdad were targeted on August 28 as retribution for the recent executions of Sunni Muslims.
On August 19, Iraq's Shi'ite-led government executed 17 people -- all but one of them on terrorism-related charges.
The Al-Qaeda group claimed its targets had been "official, security, and military" posts as well as centers of Iraq's Shi'ite majority.
Most of the attacks targeted busy streets, cafes, and markets during rush hour traffic.
The UN says more than 1,000 Iraqis were killed during July in apparent sectarian violence.
Unofficial media tallies suggest more than 600 Iraqis have been killed so far during August.
In a statement issued on August 30, the so-called "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" said Shi'ite neighborhoods across Baghdad were targeted on August 28 as retribution for the recent executions of Sunni Muslims.
On August 19, Iraq's Shi'ite-led government executed 17 people -- all but one of them on terrorism-related charges.
The Al-Qaeda group claimed its targets had been "official, security, and military" posts as well as centers of Iraq's Shi'ite majority.
Most of the attacks targeted busy streets, cafes, and markets during rush hour traffic.
The UN says more than 1,000 Iraqis were killed during July in apparent sectarian violence.
Unofficial media tallies suggest more than 600 Iraqis have been killed so far during August.
