Suicide Bombing in Baghdad Shortly After Biden's Inauguration... Over 140 Casualties (Comprehensive)

Suspected IS Remnant Attack... Showcasing Reconstruction After Last Year's Defeat
Opposition to US Middle East Withdrawal Policy Expected to Rise

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Shortly after President Joe Biden's inauguration, the largest suicide bombing in three years occurred in Baghdad, Iraq, resulting in over 140 casualties. The Islamic extremist terrorist organization 'Islamic State (IS),' which was believed to have been defeated last year, has been identified as the perpetrator behind this attack, raising concerns about political instability in the Middle East.

The power vacuum created by the U.S. troop withdrawal decision during the previous Donald Trump administration has manifested as a resurgence of IS, and it is expected that the international community will increasingly call for changes in the Biden administration's Middle East policy.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), on the 21st (local time), a series of suicide bombings occurred in the Bab Al-Sharqi area in central Baghdad, killing at least 32 people and injuring more than 110. The attack was carried out by two suicide bombers wearing explosive vests who detonated themselves in the middle of a market. This is the first suicide bombing in central Baghdad since January 2018, when a series of bombings killed 38 people, marking a three-year interval.

There are concerns that the death toll will rise as many of the injured are in serious condition. Hassan Mohammed Altamimi, Iraq's Minister of Health, stated, "Some of the injured are in critical condition," and added, "All hospitals in the capital are mobilized to treat the wounded."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for this attack, but Iraqi military authorities have identified IS as the culprit. Tahsin Al-Hafaji, spokesperson for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, explained, "The terrorists gathered people loudly in the crowded market and then detonated the first explosive, followed shortly by the second bomb." He described the attack as "a terrorist act by IS remnants" and added, "Although IS has suffered significant damage in military operations so far, it is rebuilding and trying to assert its presence."

IS is a terrorist organization that emerged amid the civil wars in Syria and Iraq in 2014. It gradually grew into a powerful regional militia, at one point controlling one-third of Iraq's territory and extending its influence to the outskirts of Baghdad. Subsequently, the U.S.-led Western coalition and Iraqi government forces encircled and launched offensives, and in March last year, the last stronghold in the eastern Syrian Baghouz area was captured, marking its official defeat.

However, immediately after its defeat, the Trump administration proceeded with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, creating a power vacuum that allowed IS remnants to become active again. According to CNN, IS remnants are scattered in small cells across Iraq and Syria, attempting a comeback by carrying out terrorist and guerrilla attacks to demonstrate the organization's resilience.

Accordingly, the international community is expected to increase calls for a change in the U.S. Middle East withdrawal policy. The Associated Press and major foreign media have pointed out that this incident occurred due to a security vacuum caused by former President Trump's reduction of U.S. troops stationed in Iraq to less than half over the past year. Earlier, President Trump ordered additional troop withdrawals from the Middle East until just before his departure in November last year, reducing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq from about 5,200 to 2,500 as of the 15th.