A series of blasts Thursday morning in Baghdad killed at least 18 people and injured dozens more in a coordinated attack designed to wreak havoc across the Iraqi capital.
The blasts were the worst violence to hit the country since a political crisis between IraqÂ’s Sunni and Shiite factions erupted this weekend. The political spat, which pits IraqÂ’s Shiite prime minister against the highest-ranking Sunni political leader, has raised fears that IraqÂ’s sectarian wounds will be reopened.
Iraqi officials said at least nine blasts went off early Thursday morning in neighborhoods around the city.
The worst attack was in the al-Amal neighborhood where seven people were killed in a blast that appeared to target rescuers and officials who came to the scene after a previous explosion. At least four people were killed in one western Baghdad neighborhood when two roadside bombs exploded.
All the information came from police and hospital officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. |