Islamic State bombings highlight Iraqi capital’s vulnerability

BAGHDAD — A wave of Islamic State bombings in Baghdad has killed nearly 100 people in two days, exposing lingering gaps in the capital’s defenses, which are manned by an array of security agencies and militias that don’t always cooperate.

The attacks also point to the resilience of the extremist group, which has increasingly resorted to bombings in civilian areas far from the front lines as it has lost territory to Iraqi forces backed by U.S.-led air strikes.

Security has improved since then, but at the ubiquitous checkpoints in and around the capital, security forces still use electric wands that have been repeatedly discredited, and security is often handled by armed groups that are allied with the government but also loyal to political parties or militias.

The Shiite militias officially operate under the direct command of the prime minister through an umbrella group known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, but command and control remains decentralized.