At least 7 killed in suicide bomb attack in Baghdad mall

At least seven people were killed and another 20 were injured Monday as two suicide bombers attacked a crowded shopping mall in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, said both a top security officer and a security source.

Major General Abdul Amir al-Shimary, Commander of Baghdad Operations Command, said that the evening attack started when a booby-trapped car exploded at the entrance of al-Jawhara Mall in Baghdad's al-Jadida district, with the two suicide bombers storming the mall building following the blast.

The suicide bombers opened fire as they ran into the mall, however security guards shot one of them, discharging the bomb which then blew him up.

The second assailant was also forced to detonate himself, al-Shimary told reporters, confirming that the attackers could not have taken civilians as hostages since they The ministry source had said earlier on that the attackers entered the shopping center with a number of civilians as hostages.

Meanwhile, a source from the Interior Ministry anonymously informed Xinhua that security sources regained control of the mall once they killed the two suicide bombers.

The source added that at least seven people were killed, whilst 20 others were injured during the attack.

Iraqi security forces then cordoned off the scene, deployed themselves out to surround the area, whilst helicopters flew overhead to secure the place, according to the source.

Earlier, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said in its report that the total casualties in Iraq's armed conflict throughout 2015 bordered on 22,370, with 7,515 killed and 14,855 injured.