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ISIS claimed responsibility Sunday for a late-night car twin bomb attack in the heart of Baghdad that killed at least 19 people, saying it was targeting a Shiite militia. The extremist group, however, did not shed any light on accusations by Yazidi lawmakers that it had executed at least 25 prisoners from the minority community in the northern city of Tal Afar, The Daily Star reported, citing news agencies. 

The two car bombs in Baghdad went off about 10 minutes apart late Saturday in the Karrada district, known for its restaurants, cafes and ice cream parlors. Police said the dead and wounded were mainly shoppers and people commemorating the birth of Imam Ali, a key figure in Shiite Islam. Two traffic policemen were among those killed.

The online claim is similar to others the group has issued this past week about bombings in Baghdad, which they describe as revenge for the fighting in nearby Anbar province.

ISIS radio outlet Al-Bayan said the jihadi group carried out the attack and targeted a Shiite militia helping Iraq’s government forces fight the extremist militants.

“The soldiers of the caliphate managed to blow up an explosive laden car ... in the area of Karrada,” the broadcaster said.

Among those killed was Ammar al-Shahbander, chief of mission in Iraq for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, the Interior Ministry and two of his friends said.