Insurgents wearing military uniforms stormed Iraq's central bank during an apparent robbery attempt, battling security forces in a three-hour standoff after bombs exploded nearby in a coordinated daylight attack that left as many as 26 people dead.
Sunday's assault on Iraq's top financial institution stoked fears that insurgents are taking advantage of political deadlock after inconclusive March 7 national elections to try to derail security gains as the US prepares to withdraw its forces by the end of next year.
Iraqi military spokesman Major General Qassim al-Moussawi blamed the attack on al-Qaeda in Iraq but said no money had been stolen from the bank, which holds gold deposits as well as US and Iraqi currency.
The violence began with the bombings — which sent plumes of smoke over the city skyline — although there were conflicting reports about the number and nature of the blasts.
The first bomb went off on the road near an electrical generator, al-Moussawi said. Insurgents wearing army uniforms then tried to enter the bank through two entrances, exchanging gunfire with the guards.
He said three suicide bombers detonated their explosives vests at the main entrance of the bank, while two other militants were killed by security forces at the second gate.
Iraqi security forces then stormed the building, prompting a standoff that lasted at least three hours, according to al-Moussawi's account.
An unknown number of attackers managed to get to a higher floor and set a fire to burn some documents and may have escaped by blending in with the bank’s employees, he said.
Local police officers said a bomb in a parked car also exploded about 800m from the bank.
In other news, Iraq moved to bolster its shaky democracy yesterday with the opening of its second parliament since the fall of former president Saddam Hussein in 2003, more than three months after an election stalemate.
A rousing rendition of the national anthem My Nation signalled the start of the inaugural session of the Council of Representatives, as hundreds of lawmakers and dignitaries gathered for the occasion.
However, the ceremony gave way to political reality as it ended only 20 minutes later, reflecting the failure of political groups to assemble a viable coalition since the March election.
The parliamentary session was a procedural affair with parliamentarians taking the oath collectively while officials from the UN, the Arab League and the US embassy, among others, looked on.
Diplomats and politicians have warned a new government continues to appear some way off, possibly months.
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