31 Dead in 3 Blasts Near Baghdad Hotels

Three large blasts have struck a hotel and restaurant district popular with Western journalists and businessmen along the Tigris River in Baghdad. At least 31 people have been killed and scores more wounded. The first blast struck at about 3:40pm, near the Sheraton Hotel, just across the Tigris River from the Green Zone, destroying concrete blast walls protecting the site. Two others struck near the Babylon Hotel and al-Hamra Hotel.

The Sheraton houses corporate offices and headquarters of some media organizations, but some adventurous international tour groups began using it last year, reports MSNBC.
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