BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi Tuesday charged that some of his opponents were disseminating fake reports of bombings in Baghdad to undermine him.

Abadi, who has faced relentless challenges from within his own bloc and across the political spectrum since taking the helm in 2014, said media outlets had been fed reports of bombings that never happened.

“There are parties exaggerating the situation. ... I always say that one fallen martyr is one too many, but spreading fear among the people, that’s called a fifth column,” he told reporters.

A suicide car bomb attack claimed by Daesh (ISIS) killed at least 35 people in northeastern Baghdad Monday, multiple security and hospital sources told AFP.

However, a number of other smaller bombings were reported by local news outlets and on social media subsequently across Baghdad, and Abadi claimed these reports were fabricated.

“Look at the series of bombings announced in Baghdad” Monday, Abadi told reporters at a news conference after the government’s weekly Cabinet meeting.

“You are journalists – go to the alleged spots in Baghdad. Were there victims there, were there really bombs there, were there any martyrs?” he asked.

Abadi accused some of his political opponents, without naming them, of deliberately trying to paint the security situation as worse than it already is.

“Those groups work among us, some of them have a problem with the prime minister. Let them sort it out with the prime minister but not this way, by scaring the people,” he said.

“They claim that they back the security forces on the front lines and then they stab them in the back,” Abadi said. “Using innocent blood for the sake of a political feud is not right.”