Forty killed in car bombings across Iraq as new wave of sectarian violence threatens to destabilise country
At least 40 people have been killed in a wave of sectarian car bombings across Iraq.
Shiite neighbourhoods of Baghdad and the southern city of Basra were targeted as bombers struck at market places and crowded bus stops during the busy morning hours, officials said.
The attacks, which left dozens of people injured, are the latest in a recent spike of bombings that has hit both Sunni and Shiite civilian targets over the past week.
Wreckage: Civilians gather at the site of a car bomb attack in front of a crowded restaurant in Basra in southeast Iraq. Two car bombs left dozens killed and injured in the city today
Tensions: Iraqi security forces gather at the site of the car bomb. The attacks are believed to have targeted Shiite areas as sectarian tensions heighten across the country Terror: A shocked woman is left in tears as civilians peer at the destruction left by the bomb attack in Basra
The bloodshed has raised fears of a return to the widespread sectarian violence of 2006-2007 that brought the country to the edge of civil war.
In the Iraqi capital, nine car bombs went off at bus stops, open-air markets and in the streets of Shiite areas, killing 27 people and wounding 116, according to police officials. The deadliest attacks came in the northern Sabi al-Boor neighborhood and in Baghdad's eastern suburb of Kamaliya. Seven people were killed in each of those attacks.
More... 49 killed in double bomb attack at Sunni mosque and funeral procession in Iraq 'F*** America': Boston 'bomber' scrawled 'confession' on side of boat revealing he would not mourn 'martyr' brother because he was 'in paradise'
In the southern city of Basra, two car bombs - one near a restaurant and the other at the city's main bus station - killed at least 13 and wounded 40, according to the provincial police spokesman, Col. Abdul-Karim al-Zaidi, and the head of city's health directorate, Riadh Abdul-Amir.
The blast at the Basra bus station ripped through food stalls that serve falafel and eggs to travelers. Slippers lay scattered on the bloodstained pavement.
Aftermath: Civilians gather at the scene of another car bomb attack in Kamaliyah, a predominantly Shiite area of eastern Baghdad Shock: A boy on a bike joins other onlookers at the scene of the bombing in Kamaliyah. The country's Sunni minority has held recent protests against alleged abuse and neglect by the majority Shiite governmentDestruction: A vehicle lies on its side following the bombing in Baghdad. There are fears a recent spike in sectarian violence will destabilise the country
A Basra resident, Talib Dakhil, said he was at the station when the explosion went off. 'This will not discourage us from continuing our life,' he said. 'We will continue challenging terrorism, whatever happens.'
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts but such large-scale bombings bear the hallmarks of al-Qaida in Iraq. Hospital officials in Baghdad and Basra confirmed the casualty tolls.
All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. In Baghdad, Malik Ibrahim blamed the government and political parties for the bloodshed and the lack of security in the country.
'How long do we have to continue living like this, with all the lies from the government,' asked the 23-year-old Baghdad resident. 'Whenever they say they have reached a solution, the bombings come back stronger than before. We're fed up with them and we can't tolerate this anymore,' he added.
Fear: The attacks in Baghdad (pictured) and in Basra have led to fears of a return to the dark days when the country appeared on the brink of civil warForce: A boy looks at the shattered remains of a vehicle caught in the Baghdad bomb attack. The force of the explosion destroyed most of the vehicle
Tensions have been intensifying in Iraq since the country's minority since Sunnis began protesting what they say is mistreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led government, including random detentions and neglect.
The protests, which began in December, have largely been peaceful, but the number of attacks rose sharply after a deadly security crackdown on a Sunni protest camp in the country's north on April 23.
Majority Shiites control the levers of power in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. Wishing to rebuild the nation rather than revert to open warfare, they have largely restrained their militias over the past five years or so as Sunni extremist groups such as al-Qaida have targeted them with occasional large-scale attacks.
