A car bomb on Monday killed at least 12 people in the eastern city of Baquba, Reuters reported. According to police and hospital sources, the bomb also wounded more than 40 people and went off near a popular restaurant near the city center.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing in the capital of Diyala province, a mixed Sunni and Shia area bordering Iran, but Daesh has claimed similar attacks in the area in the past.
Iraqi officials claimed victory over Daesh in Diyala over a year ago after driving them out of towns and villages there with the support of Shia militias. But Daesh-affiliated insurgents have remained active, while local militias have been accused of abusing Sunni residents there.
