Region | Iraq

Bombs kill 21 in Iraq as violence intensifies

Bombings killed at least 21 people in Baghdad and surrounding areas on Monday, including high school students on their way to final exams.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 16:03 June 22, 2009
  • Gulf News

Baghdad: Bombings killed at least 21 people in Baghdad and surrounding areas on Monday, including high school students on their way to final exams.

The bombings, nearly all in Shiite areas of the capital, came just two days after a truck bombing that killed at least 75 people in northern Iraq.

The reclusive Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr called on the Shiite-led government to take whatever steps necessary to protect Iraqis from attacks.

But in a statement, the anti-American cleric blamed the violence on the continued presence of US troops in the country and demanded a faster withdrawal.

"The Iraqi people are heading toward a new phase that might lift them out from their suffering," the cleric said in a statement.

In northern Iraq, rescue crews were searching for at least 12 people still missing in a massive explosion Saturday near Kirkuk that flattened a Shiite mosque and dozens of mud-brick houses around it.

  • Rate this article
  • Average reader rating (0 votes) 0 Stars
Tools

Emailing an article to friend is a simple way to share a news item. Your friend will receive an email with your name and email address as well any personal message you choose to send.

The information you provide on this page will not be used to send unsolicited emails.

This service is not intended to encourage spam, and action may be taken against individuals who maliciously enter personal details of another individual.

Share this article

More from Iraq

  1. Kuwait denies entry restriction reports

  2. 26 wounded in twin bombs in Iraq

  3. Google to put Iraqi national museum online

  4. Amended Iraq poll law angers Sunnis

All articles in Iraq

More from Region

Gulf News
Popular in News
News Editor's choice