Iraq: wave of bomb attacks 'kill 84'
Footage from the aftermath of attacks in Hilla, Baghdad and Kirkuk
A
wave of bombings across Iraq - including 10 locations in Baghdad - has
killed 83 people and wounded nearly 300, Iraqi police say.
Many of the dead in the Iraqi capital were Shia pilgrims gathering for a religious festival.In Hilla, two car bombs exploded near a restaurant, killing at least 21 people.
There has been a wave of attacks on the Shia community in recent days, as it marks the anniversary of the death of Shia imam Moussa al-Kadhim.
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In Baghdad, policemen and Shia pilgrims - many who had come on foot from across the country - bore the brunt of the assaults, while an employee of a private university was also targeted when his house was bombed.
Soon after the attacks, websites of local political parties critical of Shia Prime Minister Nouri Maliki blamed the political crisis in which Iraq has been embroiled for the past few months.
But Mr Maliki's State of Law coalition pointed the finger of blame at the recent failure of attempts by the prime minister's rivals to topple him with a vote of no-confidence.
At the scene
It's been another bloody morning - a multitude of car bombs, IEDs and machine-gun attacks.In Baghdad, policemen and Shia pilgrims - many who had come on foot from across the country - bore the brunt of the assaults, while an employee of a private university was also targeted when his house was bombed.
Soon after the attacks, websites of local political parties critical of Shia Prime Minister Nouri Maliki blamed the political crisis in which Iraq has been embroiled for the past few months.
But Mr Maliki's State of Law coalition pointed the finger of blame at the recent failure of attempts by the prime minister's rivals to topple him with a vote of no-confidence.
The first car bomb struck a procession of pilgrims in the town of Taji, north of Baghdad, as they made their way to a shrine.
There was then a series of four further blasts across the capital.A man who witnessed one of the attacks in Baghdad said a car bomb had targeted pilgrims and had also hit people who were working in the city.
"People were slaughtered and killed right here. This wrecked car here belonged to a man who worked to earn his living, and another one belonged to a fuel seller. They could not find his body."
Another man, speaking from his hospital bed in Baghdad, explained what happened.
"A car bomb exploded suddenly. I fell on the ground, then so many people fell on me."
The restaurant that came under attack in Hilla is said to be frequented by police.
Pictures from the scene showed the mangled remains of a restaurant, damaged cars and roads strewn with debris.
Sectarian tension
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Al-Kadhim festival
- Marks anniversary of the death of the 8th Century Imam Moussa al-Kadhim
- Said to be buried in a shrine in Kazimiyah, in the north of Baghdad
- Each year, a million pilgrims walk to the shrine
- In 2005, nearly 1,000 people died when rumours of an attack caused a stampede
Three bombs exploded in Kirkuk,
with one of them targeting the headquarters of Kurdish President Massoud
Barzani. One person died and many were injured in that attack.
One man told Reuters: "I want to ask the government, why do
they put party headquarters in residential areas and among the
civilians? Bombs are still occurring , killing and hurting innocent
people."There are also reports of bombs in Mosul, Balad, and Karbala.
Violence in Iraq has fallen since the sectarian killings of a few years ago, but militants still frequently attack security forces and civilians.
Wednesday has been one of the deadliest days of violence since US troops withdrew from Iraq last December. It is not yet clear who is responsible.
Shia Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has been trying to consolidate Shia power at the expense of Sunni and Kurdish voices, she says.
Mr Maliki is currently pursuing an arrest warrant for the Sunni Vice President, Tariq al-Hashemi.
He is accused of funding attacks on government and security officials during Iraq's bloody insurgency.
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