9 Dead, 100 Wounded in Iran Mosque Blast

(NEWSER) - Iran publicly hanged three men today in connection with the bombing of a Shi’ite mosque last week that killed at least 30, Reuters reports. Responsibility for the blast has reportedly been claimed by the Sunni militant group Jundollah, which Iran says is part of the al Qaeda network and is backed by the US. Washington denies the claim. More»

Heightens fears that attacks will increase now that US has withdrawn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»

Sunni militants suspected

(NEWSER) - A suicide bomber killed at least 38 people near a mosque in Iran as Shiite Muslims took part in one of their holiest ceremonies. Iranian authorities say two other bombers were arrested after their explosive belts apparently failed to detonate, reports the New York Times . There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although the southeastern province where the bombing occurred has been the target of previous terrorist attacks from Sunni militants. More»

(AP) - Bombs exploded near five Shiite mosques in Baghdad today, killing at least 29 people, according to Iraqi police and hospital officials. The bombings, apparently part of a coordinated attack that targeted worshipers leaving Friday prayers, shattered a period of relative calm in the Iraqi capital. The deaths raised to at least 303 the number of Iraqis killed in what had been one of the least deadly months of the war. More»

(NEWSER) - Gunmen raised political tensions in Iran today by shooting up a campaign office in Zahedan, the town where a mosque bombing left 23 dead yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports. Tehran officials accused Washington of supporting the gunmen, who injured up to three people in the office of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A Sunni militant group, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for the mosque attack. More»