BAQUBA, Iraq, June 9 (Xinhua) -- At least one civilian was killed and 23 others wounded Saturday in a bomb explosion at a busy marketplace in a town in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a local official said.
The explosion took place at sunset during the rush hour, when a roadside bomb ripped through a vegetable market in the town of Khalis, north of the provincial capital city of Baquba, which located some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, Udai al-Khadran, the mayor of Khalis, told Xinhua.
The blast destroyed many stalls and several nearby shops and civilian cars, while many people were shopping for the iftar meal to break their fast in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The month is characterized by fasting from dawn until sunset, as Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and all sinful thoughts and deeds.
Despite repeated military operations in Diyala province, remnants of Islamic State militants were still hiding in rugged areas near the border with Iran in eastern Diyala, as well as the sprawling areas in west and north of Baquba.
The militants are still capable of carrying out attacks against civilians and the security forces despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.
