(VOVworld) - 80 people were killed and 31 wounded on Thursday in a suicide tanker truck bomb attack at a fuel station in Babil province south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Iraqi security force is investigating the explosion site (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

Most of the victims were Iranian pilgrims sitting in a restaurant near the explosion site. The pilgrims were returning home after attending a ritual in the holy city of Karbala. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The group is increasing scattered attacks in many areas to draw attention away from Iraqi army operations in Mosul, the last ISIS stronghold in Iraq.