3 killed when gas cylinder explodes at Baghdad restaurant
BAGHDAD — An explosion at a crowded restaurant in a northwestern Baghdad neighborhood killed three people and injured 16 Thursday evening, two Iraqi health officials said.
A military statement said a gas cylinder exploded at the restaurant in the city’s Kadhmiyah district, close to the shrine of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, revered by Shiite Muslims.
It reported multiple casualties without providing an immediate breakdown.
The two health officials said some of the injured were in critical condition. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Explosions in the Iraqi capital were once almost daily occurrences but have become less frequent in the past few years, particularly following the defeat of the Islamic State group in 2017. In January, twin suicide bombings ripped through a busy market in the Iraqi capital, killing more than 30 people and wounding dozens.