19 killed in Iraq explosions
2013-02-28 20:49
-
Bravo Two Zero
Not only a breathtaking account of the Special Forces raid on Iraqi scuds during the Gulf War, this...
Now R90.00
buy now
Baghdad - A series of bombings struck Baghdad and a
livestock market south of the Iraqi capital on Thursday, killing at least 19
and wounding dozens in areas that are home to mostly Muslim Shi’ites - the
latest evidence of rising sectarian discord in Iraq.
The deadliest attack occurred around sunset when a pair
of bombs exploded nearly simultaneously in Shula in north-western Baghdad.
One was a car bomb that was detonated outside a fast food
restaurant and the other blast occurred near a soccer field.
The double-bombing killed 15 people and left at least 40
wounded, officials said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but car
bombings in Shii’te areas are a favourite tactic of Sunni extremists such as
al-Qaeda's local affiliate.
The group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, considers
Shi’ites to be heretics and accuses them of being too closely aligned with
neighbouring Shi’ite powerhouse Iran.
Earlier in the day, a car bomb tore through the crowded
livestock market in the town of Aziziyah, 55km southeast of Baghdad.
That attack killed three people and wounded eight.
A few hours later, a roadside bomb missed a passing
police patrol in western Baghdad but killed a bystander and wounded eight
people.
Police and hospital officials provided details of the
attacks and the casualty figures.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were
not authorised to talk to the media.
Violence in Iraq has fallen since the height of sectarian
fighting in 2006 and 2007, but deadly attacks still happen frequently.
The latest attacks appear aimed at shaking Iraqis'
confidence in the Shi’ite-led government.
For the past two months, Sunni Muslims have been
protesting what they describe as unfair treatment by the country's Shi’ite-led
government.
The protests have been largely peaceful.
Meanwhile, Iraqi authorities released a new batch of
inmates from a Baghdad prison in a move aiming at calming the Sunni protesters.
Deputy Prime Minister Hussain al-Sharistani announced the
release of 160 prisoners, including 13 women, during a ceremony at the prison
on Thursday.
He said 4 000 prisoners have been released since a
government committee was set up earlier this year to consider protesters'
demands.
The Sunni protests were sparked by the arrest of
bodyguards assigned to Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi, a senior Sunni
politician, in December.
- SAPA
