Fears of civil war as 60 die in Iraq bomb attacks

CO-ORDINATED attacks on mostly Shia targets across Iraq early yesterday killed at least 60 people and wounded dozens in one of the bloodiest days of violence since US troops pulled out in mid-December.

The attacks raised fears of a return to sectarian carnage that cost thousands of Iraqi lives in 2006 and 2007, as Sunni insurgents with links to al-Qaeda warred with Shiite militias.

The violence breaks weeks of relative calm as Shia premier Nouri al-Maliki and Sunni leaders have sought to resolve a political crisis that threatened to unravel their power-sharing deal following the US withdrawal.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

At least 32 people were killed in blasts in Baghdad where ten explosions tore through mainly Shia neighbourhoods during rush hour and other attacks targeted police patrols, commuters and crowds in shopping areas.

The blasts hit just weeks before Baghdad plans to host an Arab League summit, which has been postponed because of acrimony between Iraq’s Shia-led government and Sunni states.

Related topics: