Iraq officials say car bomb explodes near Shiite mosque in northern Baghdad, kills at least 15

BAGHDAD – Iraqi authorities say a car bomb has exploded near a Shiite mosque in northern Baghdad, killing at least 15 in the latest deadly attack to strike the country.

Police officials said the explosion hit Wednesday evening in the Iraqi capital’s Kasra area, a predominantly Shiite enclave in an otherwise Sunni part of the city.

They say the explosion also wounded more than 30 people, including worshippers and shoppers who were in the area.

A health official confirmed the casualty numbers. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to release the information.

Iraq is weathering its worst bout of violent upheaval since 2008, when the country was pulling back from the brink of sectarian civil war. More than 4,000 have been killed since the start of April.