Daesh claims Basra suicide bombings

People inspect a checkpoint after an attack staged twin bombs rocked in Basra, Iraq on May 20, 2017. Daesh terror group has claimed the responsibility for the attack. ( Haider el-Esadi – Anadolu Agency )

A damaged car is seen after an twin bomb attack rocked Basra, Iraq on 20 May, 2017. ( Haider el-Esadi – Anadolu Agency )

A security officer inspects a checkpoint after twin bombs rocked Basra, Iraq on 20 May 2017. ( Haider el-Esadi – Anadolu Agency )

A security officer inspects a checkpoint after twin bombs rocked Basra, Iraq on 20 May 2017. ( Haider el-Esadi – Anadolu Agency )

A damaged car is seen after an twin bomb attack rocked Basra, Iraq on 20 May, 2017. ( Haider el-Esadi – Anadolu Agency )

A damaged car is seen after an twin bomb attack rocked Basra, Iraq on 20 May, 2017. ( Haider el-Esadi – Anadolu Agency )

A security officer inspects a checkpoint after twin bombs rocked Basra, Iraq on 20 May 2017. ( Haider el-Esadi – Anadolu Agency )

Daesh has taken credit for a suicide car bomb attack that killed civilians and members of the security forces in the southern oil hub of Basra yesterday.

Two suicide car bombers blew themselves up at checkpoints on a highway near oilfields in the southern Iraqi province of Basra yesterday, killing several people, police sources and an interior ministry spokesman said.

Iraq’s South Oil Company said there was no disruption to operations but oil police were put on maximum alert in response to the attack, officials said.

Bomb attacks in southern Iraq, where the bulk of the country’s oil is produced, are relatively rare.

The victims included two soldiers, a traffic policeman and an unknown number of civilians travelling in a bus.

The first blast took place at the Rumeila checkpoint and the second around one kilometre away at another checkpoint called Al-Sadra, an interior ministry spokesman said.