Yea, surge! Blasts kill 20 Shiite worshippers in Iraq as they mark Eid

[babylonsister]

Blasts kill 20 Shiite worshippers in Iraq as they mark Eid
By Corinne Reilly, Sahar Issa and Jenan Hussein | McClatchy Newspapers



BAGHDAD — Two suicide bombers targeting Shiite worshippers killed at least 20 people and injured dozens more at Baghdad mosques Thursday morning, officials said.

Both attacks took place around 8 a.m. in south east Baghdad, about four miles apart. They came as Shiites marked the first day of Eid, a three-day celebration that follows Ramadan, Islam's holy month.

Death tolls in both attacks will probably rise, officials said.

A suicide bomber strapped with explosives killed at least 12 worshipers and injured 25 as they left al Razool mosque in Jadida, a largely Shiite district, police said. Officials described the bomber as a teenaged male who detonated himself as guards were searching him near the gates of the mosque.

Bystanders were told not to help the wounded, said Mohammed Abu Mustafa, 45, who witnessed the blast. "The guards were shouting at people not to get close to the area because they feared there would be another explosion," he said. "They were firing their guns in the air to keep people away."

Secondary explosions aimed at killing responders are common in Iraq.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/53359.html