Deadly Blast Rocks Holy City

Heightens fears that attacks will increase now that US has withdrawn

(AP) - A wave of bombings targeting Shiites in Iraq killed 72 people today, deepening sectarian tensions that exploded just after the last American troops left the country in mid-December. The bombings began early in the morning when explosions struck two Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad, killing at least 27 people. A few hours later, a suicide attack hit Shiite pilgrims heading to the holy Shiite city of Karbala, killing 45; those explosions took place about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad. More»

Separate Baghdad bombings kill 2

(AP) - Two car bombs struck Shiite pilgrims today in an Iraqi holy city, killing at least 18 people as crowds massed for religious rituals marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for the Islamic sect's most beloved saint. The blasts in Karbala were the latest in nearly a week of attacks that have killed at least 159 people. More»

(NEWSER) - Insurgents in Baghdad used two children in the backseat of a car to lower suspicion at an American security checkpoint, then blew up the car, with the children in it. Once they cleared the checkpoint, the bombers parked near a school, ran from the car, and detonated the bomb, killing the children and three other civilians, and wounding seven. More»

Dozens wounded; explosions end weeks of relative peace

(NEWSER) - Bombs struck more than a dozen Iraqi cities this morning, killing 56 and wounding dozens more. The coordinated explosions mark the first major violence in a comparatively peaceful month of Ramadan, the AP notes; the violence comes as as officials debate whether to maintain a US presence in the country beyond the end of the year. More»

Roadside bomb follows car bomb in city north of Baghdad

(AP) - Double blasts from a car bomb and a roadside bombing at a parking lot outside a city council building north of Baghdad killed at least 35 people today, Iraqi police and hospital officials said. The attack started when insurgents first detonated a car bomb around noon in the parking lot of the local council building in Taji, a Sunni-dominated town about 12 miles from Baghdad. That blast was followed by a roadside bomb that went off as civilians and security forces gathered to help the victims from the first explosion. More»