Car bombs kill over 30 in Iraq

By: ALASTAIR MACDONALD

BAGHDAD - Car bombs killed 30 people in Iraq yesterday and wounded more than 70 in one of the bloodiest spasms of violence of recent weeks as political leaders closed in on a deal to form a national unity government.

The southern city of Basra was largely calm as British military

engineers examined the wreck of a helicopter whose apparent

shooting-down was followed by clashes between troops and youths

chanting triumphal Shi'ite militia slogans.

At least 21 people were killed and 52 wounded when a suicide

bomber detonated a car on a crowded street in the Shi'ite holy city

of Kerbala, south of Baghdad, police and doctors said.

 

The effect was devastating.

 

Around the same time, two cars exploded in the capital.

 

A suicide car bomber hit an Iraqi army patrol in the rebellious,

mainly Sunni northern district of Aadhamiya, killing eight people

and wounding 15.

 

Soldiers and civilians were among the casualties.

 

Iraqi and US forces had conducted a sweep for Sunni guerrillas

in Aadhamiya on Saturday, the US military said.

 

A second car bomb exploded at a busy intersection close to the

offices of a government-funded newspaper in northern Baghdad,

killing one civilian and wounding five.

 

In Kerbala, the police chief told a news conference only two

people had died in the bombing.

 

But police and hospital officials who declined to be named stood

by their casualty figures and said rescue work was continuing four

hours later.

 

The blast decimated crowds going about their business at the

start of the working week, close to a partially built Shi'ite

mosque and some 500 metres from the main bus station.

 

A dozen other vehicles burned out as a result of the

explosion.

 

Interior Ministry sources said 42 bodies had been found in the

last 24 hours in the capital alone, including eight found dumped

near Kindi hospital in central Baghdad.

 

The figure is in line with levels of violence seen since

sectarian bloodshed spiked up after the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine

on Feb. 22.

 

Sunni leaders blame pro-government Shi'ite militias and the

Shi'ite-dominated police for some of the sectarian killing.

 

Militia leaders speak of a need to respond to three years of

violence by insurgents from the once-dominant Sunni minority.

 

Sectarian bloodshed has prompted warnings Iraq is sliding toward

civil war, and added urgency to efforts by political leaders to

form a unity government that can reverse the trend.

 

- Nampa-Reuters

 

At least 21 people were killed and 52 wounded when a suicide bomber

detonated a car on a crowded street in the Shi'ite holy city of

Kerbala, south of Baghdad, police and doctors said.The effect was

devastating.Around the same time, two cars exploded in the

capital.A suicide car bomber hit an Iraqi army patrol in the

rebellious, mainly Sunni northern district of Aadhamiya, killing

eight people and wounding 15.Soldiers and civilians were among the

casualties.Iraqi and US forces had conducted a sweep for Sunni

guerrillas in Aadhamiya on Saturday, the US military said.A second

car bomb exploded at a busy intersection close to the offices of a

government-funded newspaper in northern Baghdad, killing one

civilian and wounding five.In Kerbala, the police chief told a news

conference only two people had died in the bombing.But police and

hospital officials who declined to be named stood by their casualty

figures and said rescue work was continuing four hours later.The

blast decimated crowds going about their business at the start of

the working week, close to a partially built Shi'ite mosque and

some 500 metres from the main bus station.A dozen other vehicles

burned out as a result of the explosion.Interior Ministry sources

said 42 bodies had been found in the last 24 hours in the capital

alone, including eight found dumped near Kindi hospital in central

Baghdad.The figure is in line with levels of violence seen since

sectarian bloodshed spiked up after the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine

on Feb. 22.Sunni leaders blame pro-government Shi'ite militias and

the Shi'ite-dominated police for some of the sectarian

killing.Militia leaders speak of a need to respond to three years

of violence by insurgents from the once-dominant Sunni

minority.Sectarian bloodshed has prompted warnings Iraq is sliding

toward civil war, and added urgency to efforts by political leaders

to form a unity government that can reverse the trend.-

Nampa-Reuters

---