The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant issued a statement claiming that it was responsible for the attack and that it had deliberately targeted Shia Muslims,[REF] further identifying the suicide bomber as Abu Maha al-Iraqi [REF].
Jasim al-Bahadli, a former army officer and security analyst in Baghdad, stated that the attack was an ISIS attempt to "compensate for their humiliating defeat in Falluja" [REF].