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Iraq suicide bombing hits market | Iraq suicide bombing hits market |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Twin suicide bombers have killed at least 35 people and injured 65 in an attack at a market in the Iraqi province of Diyala, officials say. | |
The attacks were mounted in Balad Ruz, 30km (20 miles) east of Baquba, as a group of wedding guests passed through the area. | |
Police arrived after a woman set off a bomb belt. At that point, a man blew also himself up among bystanders. | |
The attack comes as Iraq says at least 968 civilians were killed in April. | The attack comes as Iraq says at least 968 civilians were killed in April. |
The finger of blame for the Balad Ruz attack is bound to be pointed at al-Qaeda in Iraq or its sympathisers, the BBC's Clive Myrie reports from Baghdad. | |
The Sunni extremist group's fighters are believed to have tried to regroup in Diyala since being driven out of Anbar province and the capital, our correspondent adds. | |
Ibrahim Hassan, 26, described the attacks in Balad Ruz during which he was wounded. | |
"The first blast happened in front of an ice cream shop," he told AFP news agency. | |
"A lot of people ran to help the wounded, but two minutes later another bomber blew himself up in the crowd." | |
'Depraved' Maliki | 'Depraved' Maliki |
Iraqi government troops backed by the US military are continuing to fight a tough battle against Shia militia groups in Baghdad. | |
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Turmoil and bloodshed in Sadr City | Turmoil and bloodshed in Sadr City |
The fighting, in which more than 400 people have died over the last month, has been concentrated in the capital's eastern district of Sadr City, a stronghold of the Mehdi Army militia of radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr. | |
On Thursday, Iraqi deputies denounced the government, using a quotation from the Koran to describe Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki as "depraved". | On Thursday, Iraqi deputies denounced the government, using a quotation from the Koran to describe Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki as "depraved". |
The criticism came from the bloc of MPs who support the Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr - which once backed Mr Maliki. | The criticism came from the bloc of MPs who support the Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr - which once backed Mr Maliki. |
Nine people died on Thursday in a Baghdad bomb blast aimed at US troops. The death toll also rose in the sprawling Sadr City district. | Nine people died on Thursday in a Baghdad bomb blast aimed at US troops. The death toll also rose in the sprawling Sadr City district. |
Another difficult front being opened up to the north in Diyala province is the last thing the government now needs, our correspondent says. | Another difficult front being opened up to the north in Diyala province is the last thing the government now needs, our correspondent says. |