18 People Killed In Recent ISIS Attack At Jawhara Mall In Baghdad

Islamic State has once again spread terror in the Middle East when it attacked a shopping mall in the Eastern part of Baghdad Monday evening, leaving at least 18 people dead and 50 people wounded, TIME reported.

Iraqi officials said the attack was carried out by seven I.S. members who stormed into the Jawhara Mall after launching a suicide bomb attack and setting off a car bomb at the mall's entrance. The incident turned the city into an "urban war zone," The New York Times noted Monday.

Shortly after the attack, the terrorist group posted a statement online warning people that there will be more attacks in the future. They also claimed that four of their men were involved in the incident, and that they have wounded nearly 90 individuals in the area known to be a gathering spot for several Shiite Muslims.

"What is coming is worse and more bitter, God permitting," the group said.

The conflicting information obtained by Iraqi officials as to the number of gunmen and the figure released by ISIS is yet to be reconciled, Fox News reported.

Initially, the attacked was described as a hostage situation wherein about 50 people were trapped inside the compound. The Iraqi forces responded immediately by deploying a number of troops to surround the building while the others landed on the roof. The clash between the two forces lasted for an hour and a half leaving two ISIS men dead and four others arrested.

"The scene was terrible, and I will never forget it because of the child," said 48-year-old Haitham Ali, who had witnessed the incident and was able to carry the body of a dead child who was killed by the suicide bomber.

Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Al-Shimari, Baghdad Operations Command head, said ISIS has been "diversifying its tactics by attacking civilians."