Baghdad, Jul 18 (IANS): At least 40 people were killed and more than 50 others wounded on Friday when a truck bomb exploded in Iraq's capital Baghdad, a security source said.
The truck bomb exploded late on Friday in a popular market area of Khan Bani Saad, which is predominantly a Shia Muslim area, Xinhua cited the source as saying.
The source added the blast killed at least 40 people, noting that many of the victims' bodies were charred or cut into small pieces as a result of the blast.
The wounded were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. The death toll could go up.
The source said the blast also burned dozens of shops and civilian cars. The security forces have sealed off the scene with anticipation of further attacks.
The security situation in Iraq has drastically deteriorated since June 2014, when bloody clashes broke out between security forces and Islamic State militants.