Car bombing kills dozens in Baghdad
Güncelleme Tarihi:
AP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 27, 2009 00:00
BAGHDAD - A car bomb exploded near a crowded market in a mainly Shiite area of Baghdad yesterday, killing as many as 20 people, Iraqi officials said, in the sixth major attack in Iraq this month.
The blast occurred a day after the U.S. military said overall attacks nationwide have fallen to levels of the early months of the war, which began with the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. The recent uptick in bombings shows the resiliency of the militants who have been hit hard in U.S.-Iraqi military operations and appear to be choosing their targets carefully to maximize the number of casualties as the war enters its seventh year.
The explosives-laden car was parked behind concrete barriers surrounding a private hospital near a bus stop and shops in the eastern Shaab district, the officials said.
Apples and oranges were scattered on the ground with pools of blood and twisted, blackened metal, according to AP Television News footage. Children with bloodied faces cried as they were treated by doctors in the packed hospital emergency room. One boy had lost part of his scalp. Nadhum Mohammed Talib, a 21-year-old college student, said he was walking home from the bus stop when the blast shook the area and set several cars on fire. "I fell to the ground and saw a huge fireball with smoke that covered the area," he said. "I feel sad that violence is coming back after a recent period of calm security."
Four children among deaths
The 20 killed included four children and four women, said police and hospital officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information. The officials said 35 people also were wounded. The U.S. military confirmed the attack but said preliminary reports indicated eight people were killed and 14 were wounded. Iraqi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi's office also said eight people were killed and 12 wounded.
Conflicting casualty tolls are common in the aftermath of bombings.
Shaab is a former Shiite militia stronghold that has seen a sharp drop in violence since anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr declared a cease-fire amid a crackdown by the U.S. and Iraqi militaries. But Baghdad and surrounding areas have seen a spike in bombings, raising concern that Sunni insurgents may be regrouping as the U.S. begins to hand over security responsibility to the Iraqis before a planned American troop withdrawal by the end of 2011.
The explosives-laden car was parked behind concrete barriers surrounding a private hospital near a bus stop and shops in the eastern Shaab district, the officials said.
Apples and oranges were scattered on the ground with pools of blood and twisted, blackened metal, according to AP Television News footage. Children with bloodied faces cried as they were treated by doctors in the packed hospital emergency room. One boy had lost part of his scalp. Nadhum Mohammed Talib, a 21-year-old college student, said he was walking home from the bus stop when the blast shook the area and set several cars on fire. "I fell to the ground and saw a huge fireball with smoke that covered the area," he said. "I feel sad that violence is coming back after a recent period of calm security."
Four children among deaths
The 20 killed included four children and four women, said police and hospital officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information. The officials said 35 people also were wounded. The U.S. military confirmed the attack but said preliminary reports indicated eight people were killed and 14 were wounded. Iraqi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi's office also said eight people were killed and 12 wounded.
Conflicting casualty tolls are common in the aftermath of bombings.
Shaab is a former Shiite militia stronghold that has seen a sharp drop in violence since anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr declared a cease-fire amid a crackdown by the U.S. and Iraqi militaries. But Baghdad and surrounding areas have seen a spike in bombings, raising concern that Sunni insurgents may be regrouping as the U.S. begins to hand over security responsibility to the Iraqis before a planned American troop withdrawal by the end of 2011.