Blasts In Iraq Kill 6, As Toll From Previous Day’s Powerful Wave Of Attacks Passes 70
By Associated Press, Updated: Sunday, July 21, 7:02 AM
BAGHDAD — Two bombs killed six people on the outskirts of Baghdad early Sunday, as the death toll from a coordinated wave of late-night car bombings and other attacks the day before jumped past 70, according to authorities.
The explosions are the latest in a relentless surge in bloodshed that has rocked Iraq since the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. They follow months of increased violence across the country that is raising fears of a return to the widespread sectarian killing that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
Saturday night’s blasts went off after the iftar meal that breaks the daily fast in the month of Ramadan. Streets during the holy month are often filled with people out shopping and relaxing in cafes in the evenings, suggesting the attackers aimed to hit as many civilians as possible.
“What crime have those innocent people committed?” asked Kadim Mohsen, who was surveying the previous night’s damage in the central neighborhood of Karrada. Several storefronts were wrecked by the force of an explosion there, and broken watermelons and sandals littered the street.
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As the scale of the carnage became clearer early Sunday, police reported that a total of 12 car bombs went off in Baghdad late Saturday. They said the blasts and a shooting in the same area as one of the explosions killed 57, including some who died in the hospital overnight. More than 125 were reported wounded.
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