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Explosions leave at least 20 dead, 25 wounded in Iraq

Iraqi police inspect the destruction inside a restaurant after a bomb exploded inside it in the city of Mosul, north of Baghdad, yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Explosions caused by a bomb left in a bag near laborers waiting for day work in Baghdad and two separate suicide bombings killed at least 20 people yesterday and wounded more than 25, police and hospital officials said.

The first explosion happened shortly before 8am near Liberation Square in Baghdad's Bab Sharqi area, where a group of men were waiting near stands serving tea and falafel sandwiches, killing at least four workers and wounding 14 other people, including one policeman, Lieutenant Ali Mutib said.

Hussein Mohammed Naama, who sells tea and falafel sandwiches, said a man bought a cup of tea from him and left a black plastic bag near his sidewalk stand.

"He drank his tea and left the bag near the stand. I went to a nearby restaurant to get water and then the bag exploded," said a distraught Naama, who had tears running down his face. "We don't know what to do, we need a solution. We can't live like this."

At least three shop fronts were blown out by the blast and several cars were destroyed. Workers swept shattered glass and pools of blood that covered the sidewalk.

"We want to live, but the government doesn't care about us, the Americans and the police are only protecting themselves while nobody protects us."

Sayeed Issa, Baghdad day laborer

"We want to live, but the government doesn't care about us, the Americans and the police are only protecting themselves while nobody protects us," said one of the workers, Sayeed Issa, 28.

A suicide bomber killed 12 people yesterday when he blew himself up on a mini-bus in northern Baghdad, an interior ministry official said. Rescue teams were combing the blackened vehicle to extract charred human remains, the official said on condition of anonymity.

At least eight wounded were rushed to the hospital, he added.

The attacker struck in the Shiite neighborhood of Kadhamiyah, which has been regularly targeted by Sunni Muslim extremists intent on fanning sectarian strife among Iraq's religious groups.

In the northwestern city of Mosul, a militant with explosives concealed under his clothing entered a restaurant at about 7:30am and blew himself up among people eating breakfast, killing at least four people and wounding five others, Captain Mohammed Khalil and hospital official Ahmed Khaled said.

The blast devastated the Abu Ali Restaurant, which is popular among Iraqi policemen working in Mosul, 360km northwest of Baghdad.

Blood and body parts were sprayed over the walls and floor, parts of the ceiling had collapsed and chairs and tables were obliterated by the force of the blast.

"Police were eating their breakfast and suddenly there was an explosion," said the owner, who identified himself only as Abu Ali.

Insurgents routinely target Iraqi security forces in their incessant campaign to derail the US-backed Iraqi government, who militants regard as sympathizing with the foreign military presence in the country.
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