BAGHDAD—The death toll from the truck bombing at a bustling Baghdad commercial street rose to 157 on Monday, Iraqi authorities said, as Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered new security measures in the capital.
The attack early Sunday, claimed by the Islamic State group, was one of the worst single bombings in Iraq over more than a decade of war and insurgency. It underscored the ISIS group’s ability to strike the Iraqi capital despite a string of battlefield losses elsewhere in the country and fueled public anger toward the government.
The suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden vehicle in Baghdad’s mostly Shiite Karada district, a favorite destination for shoppers—especially during the holy month of Ramadan. The streets and sidewalks were filled with young people and families after they had broken their daylight fast.
