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N Iraq city hit by bombing wave Baghdad market bombing 'kills 45'
(about 3 hours later)
A series of car bombs has exploded in the north Iraq city of Kirkuk, killing five people and injuring nearly 40 others, police and officials say. At least 45 people have been killed and 60 injured in a lorry bombing at a market place in Baghdad, Iraqi security officials have said.
Seven bombs - one said to be a suicide blast - went off in different parts of the ethnically-mixed city. The attack took place at the market in central al-Sadriya district as people bought food ahead of a night curfew.
Targets included the premises of two Kurdish political parties as well as a school which was closed for the day. Earlier, a series of car bombs exploded in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing five people and injuring 40 others.
Earlier, police said gunmen attacked a checkpoint near Samarra, killing six police and injuring another six. The Iraqi violence continues despite a new US initiative that will see an extra 21,500 troops deployed.
Samarra is a mainly Sunni town 125km (80 miles) north of Baghdad where an attack on an important Shia shrine last February sparked Iraq's current sectarian violence. The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Baghdad says police sources are now correcting initial reports of a suicide attack at the market and now say the lorry had been parked.
Low casualties 'Destabilising'
The seven bombs in Kirkuk went off within a two-hour period. In the Kirkuk attacks, seven bombs - one said to be a suicide blast - went off in different parts of the ethnically mixed city over a two-hour period.
Police said the casualty figures were relatively below because the bombs contained small amounts of explosives and were detonated at a time when the streets were quiet. Seven bombs also went off in Kirkuk in the north
Two of the bombs targeted the headquarters of two Kurdish parties - the Kurdish Democratic Party led by of Massoud Barzani, head of the northern Kurdish region, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, headed by Iraq's President, Jalal Talabani.Two of the bombs targeted the headquarters of two Kurdish parties - the Kurdish Democratic Party led by of Massoud Barzani, head of the northern Kurdish region, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, headed by Iraq's President, Jalal Talabani.
Others hit a petrol station, Kirkuk's commercial district, and several other locations, reports said. Others hit a petrol station, Kirkuk's commercial district and several other locations, reports said.
Razqar Ali, a Kurdish leader and head of Kirkuk provincial council, accused militants of trying to destabilise the city amid efforts by some Kurds to include it in the autonomous Kurdish region.Razqar Ali, a Kurdish leader and head of Kirkuk provincial council, accused militants of trying to destabilise the city amid efforts by some Kurds to include it in the autonomous Kurdish region.
"The terrorists want to destabilise the city of Kirkuk," he told the Associated Press. A curfew was imposed after the blasts and would run from 1600 (1300 GMT) to 0600 on Sunday, AFP news agency said.
"They want to depict the city as unsafe to provide a pretext to other groups to interfere." Earlier, police said gunmen attacked a checkpoint near Samarra, killing six police and injuring another six.
A curfew was imposed after the blasts, and would run 1600 (1300 GMT) to 0600 on Sunday, AFP news agency said. Samarra is a mainly Sunni town 125km (80 miles) north of Baghdad where an attack on an important Shia shrine last February sparked Iraq's current sectarian violence.