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Bombings kill Shias in Iraq cities of Hilla and Karbala | Bombings kill Shias in Iraq cities of Hilla and Karbala |
(35 minutes later) | |
At least 31 people have been killed in bomb attacks on predominantly Shia Muslim areas south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, officials say. | |
A double bombing in the city of Hilla killed 26 people and wounded scores more. | |
A car bomb also exploded in the nearby shrine city of Karbala, killing at least five people. | |
No group has said it carried out the attacks but Sunni militants have targeted the Shia majority in the past. | No group has said it carried out the attacks but Sunni militants have targeted the Shia majority in the past. |
Pilgrims flock to Karbala each year for Ashura commemorations, the climax of the holy month of Muharram. | Pilgrims flock to Karbala each year for Ashura commemorations, the climax of the holy month of Muharram. |
Initial reports said the two bombs in Hilla exploded near a restaurant. The dead included two women, three children, two medics and a civil defence member, police and medics said. | |
Witnesses said Iraqi security forces cordoned off the area of the blasts and set up checkpoints in the city. | |
In Karbala, a parked car exploded near one of the city gates, a police officer quoted by AP news agency said. | In Karbala, a parked car exploded near one of the city gates, a police officer quoted by AP news agency said. |
Those who died were civilians but policemen were among more than 20 wounded, he added. The blast also damaged nearby buildings. | Those who died were civilians but policemen were among more than 20 wounded, he added. The blast also damaged nearby buildings. |
A recent upsurge in such attacks has sparked fears of a return to the sectarian conflict that beset Iraq in the years after the 2003 US-led invasion. | A recent upsurge in such attacks has sparked fears of a return to the sectarian conflict that beset Iraq in the years after the 2003 US-led invasion. |
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