April 20, 2013 -- Updated 0416 GMT (1216 HKT)
A bomb hidden in a plastic bag exploded inside a popular coffee shop in
western Baghdad killing at least 27 people -- including four children --
and wounding 51 others, city police officials said. FULL STORY
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WAVE OF BOMBINGS
Blast in popular Baghdad coffee shop kills at least 27
April 19, 2013 -- Updated 1407 GMT (2207 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Four of at least 27 people killed are children, police say
- NEW: The building targeted in western Baghdad had an ice cream shop and medical offices
- A bomb was hidden in a plastic bag and detonated around 10 p.m. local time
- There have been several attacks ahead of Saturday's provincial elections
The bomb was hidden
in a plastic bag and then put in a cafe in the Iraqi capital's
al-Amriya neighborhood, where it detonated around 10 p.m. (3 p.m. ET),
according to police.
They estimated the device contained about two kilograms of highly explosive material.
The explosion ripped
through the three-story building, which also includes an ice cream
parlor on the first floor and medical offices on the second floor. The
coffee shop was on the third floor.
Deadly wave of bombings across Iraq
Most of those killed and hurt were young men, though four children were among the dead, police said.
Mostly Sunni Muslims live in the neighborhood, which is surrounded by walls except for one checkpoint staffed by Iraqi soldiers.
The violence follows a spate of attacks preceding the country's provincial elections, set for Saturday.
On Wednesday, three people died and 16 were wounded in four explosions in and around Baghdad, according to police.
There is concern that the
security situation could affect the outcome of the vote, especially if
Iraqis don't participate because of fears that polling stations may come
under attack.
U.N. official Martin
Kobler appealed Thursday for security forces to be on "heightened alert"
so that citizens can vote "in a safe environment without fear of
violence."
In the same statement,
Kobler -- the special representative in Iraq for the U.N.
secretary-general -- stressed that Iraqi leaders must "collectively
endure a transparent and peaceful election, free of intimidation or
political interference."
And he urged Iraqis to vote, casting it as their patriotic duty.
"I am calling on all
women and men to cast their ballots for a better future for them and
their children," Kobler said. "My appeal goes particularly to young
Iraqis, because you are the future of this country."
CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq reported from Baghdad and Greg Botelho wrote this story from Atlanta.
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