BAGHDAD—A suicide bomber driving a pickup loaded with explosives struck a bustling market in Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 36 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group hours after French President Francois Hollande arrived in the Iraqi capital.
The bomb went off in a fruit and vegetable market that was packed with day laborers, a police officer said, adding that another 52 people were wounded.
During a press conference with Hollande, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the bomber pretended to be a man seeking to hire day laborers. Once the workers gathered around, he detonated the vehicle.
Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, right, greets French President Francois Hollande prior to their meeting in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 2, 2017. Hollande is in Iraq for a one-day visit. AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool
