Deadly blasts rock Iraqi city of Karbala

Car bomb and three further explosions at passport and identity office kill at least 16 and wound more than 30 in Shia city At least 16 people have been killed and 30 wounded after four blasts rocked a government building in the Iraqi city of Karbala. A car bomb detonated outside the office where national ID cards and passports are issued. Three further explosions went off as emergency services arrived at the site. “When people and security personnel were busy evacuating the dead and the wounded, another two explosions hit the place, causing more casualties,” a Karbala police official said before the fourth explosion. Karbala, a major Shia holy city 50 miles southwest of Baghdad, has been attacked in the past by Sunni Islamist insurgents targeting Shia pilgrims who flock to the city’s religious sites. On Thursday, a suicide bomber killed four people and wounded 17 others. Violence has eased since the height of sectarian strife in 2006-2007, but insurgents tied to al-Qaida and Shia militias still carry out almost daily attacks that are testing Iraq’s government as US troops prepare to withdraw at the end of the year. Iraq Middle East Global terrorism guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 25, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.