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Two bombs rock pet markets
01/02/2008 12:05 - (SA)
Baghdad - Two bombs 20 minutes apart tore through two separate pet markets on Friday morning, killing at least 21 people and wounding dozens, police said.
The deadliest blast occurred at about 10:20 when a bomb hidden in a bird box exploded at the central al-Ghazl market, killing at least 17 people and wounding 27, police and hospital officials said.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to release the information, said six children and many teenagers were among the victims.
About 20 minutes later, another bomb targeted a bird market in the predominantly Shi'ite south-eastern neighbourhood of New Baghdad. Police said four people were killed, including a woman, and nine wounded, including children, in that attack.
The violence, which took place shortly before the weekly Islamic call to prayer resounded across the city, was the latest in a series of attacks chipping away at recent security gains with a US troop building and a Sunni revolt against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The al-Ghazl market has been struck several times since the war started but it has recently re-emerged as a popular venue as security has improved in recent months and a weekly driving ban was lifted.
A bomb hidden in a box of small birds exploded at the market in late November, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens.
The US military blamed the November attack on Iranian-backed Shi'ite militants, saying they had hoped al-Qaeda in Iraq would be held responsible for the attack so Iraqis would turn to them for protection.
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