At Least 38 Killed In Two Suicide Blasts In Baghdad

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The Iraqi Interior Ministry says at least 38 people have been killed and 105 injured by two suicide bombings in central Baghdad.

Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan said the suicide bombers targeted Sahet al-Tayaran (Aviation Square) in the center of the Iraqi capital early on January 15.

Sahet al-Tayaran Square is a busy center of commerce and a place where day laborers gather in the early morning in the hope of getting jobs.

Witnesses told the German dpa news agency that the blast took place near a gathering for construction workers.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but many similar attacks in Iraq have been carried out by the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

The office of Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said that he met with military and intelligence officials after the attack, asking them to "eliminate IS sleeper cells."

In December, Iraq's government announced the "end of the war" against IS after militants were expelled from the Baghdad region and from urban areas of Iraq that the group controlled.

But some militants are still active north of Baghdad.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and AFP