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June 20, 2009

Bombing Kills 46 in Northern Iraq
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=24E1176:A6F02AD83191E160C6CD99B484E5147E3CF5CDEF8FC051DA&
 
Attack occurred near city of Kirkuk Saturday after noon prayers 
Iraqis search through wreckage of truck bomb in northern city of Kirkuk,
20 Jun 2009Police in northern Iraq say a truck bombing near a Shi'ite
mosque has killed at least 46 people and wounded about 170.The
attack occurred near the city of Kirkuk Saturday as worshippers left
the mosque following midday prayers. Some 25 homes were destroyed.
Medical officials say women and children are among the dead. Rescue
teams are searching for more victims. No one has claimed responsibility
for the attack. Tensions
have risen in the oil-rich region as the Kurdish majority seeks to
incorporate it into their semiautonomous region despite opposition from
other ethnic groups. The blast comes 10 days before the United States is
scheduled to pull its combat forces out of Iraqi cities. The
level of violence has dropped significantly across the country in the
past year. But Iraqi officials have warned that insurgents will
increase attacks in an effort to undermine confidence in the country's
security forces. Some information for this report was provided by AFP,
AP and Reuters. 


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