Cairo: A bomb exploded hitting a liquor store in Baghdad, injuring one civilian, Iraqi media reported.
The Monday blast occurred in central Baghdad’s district of Al Bab Al Muazam, security sources said.
“An explosive device targeted an alcohol store, injuring a civilian,” one source told Iraqi news website Al Sumaria.
The blast was the latest in a string of attacks against liquor stores in the city.
At least 14 attacks have been reported on alcohol stores in Baghdad in the past two months, according to local media.
Such licenced stores are mainly owned by Christian and Yazidi minorities in mostly Muslim Iraq.
Islamists have recently called for closure of the liquor businesses in Iraq, accusing them of infringing Islamic rules prohibiting alcohol.
Last November, a liquor shop and a massage parlour in Baghdad were attacked reportedly by a militant group linked to Iran.
In response, authorities have increased security presence around such businesses in an attempt to allay their owners’ worries.
The attacks put to a test the government of Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi, who has vowed to re-establish state control amid militia violations.
