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Blasts in Iraq Kill 15

   VOA News 23 April 2010
   A  man  carries  an  injured  girl  after bombs exploded in the Shiite
   stronghold of Sadr City

Photo: AP

   A  man  carries  an  injured  girl  after a series of parked car bombs
   exploded  in  the  Shiite stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq, 23
   Apr 2010

   A  series  of bombings in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad and western Anbar
   province killed at least 15 people on Friday.
   Security  officials say the Baghdad attack appeared to target a mosque
   in  a  Shi'ite neighborhood, killing at least nine people.  There are
   conflicting  reports  about  whether one or more blasts took place and
   whether one or more mosques were targeted.
   Earlier Friday in western Anbar province, Iraqi police say a series of
   roadside bombs killed at least six people and wounded 10 others.
   Authorities  say at least four explosions took place near houses owned
   by police officers and a judge in the town of Khalidiya.
   It  was  not  immediately  clear  if  security  forces  were among the
   casualties.
   There   has   been   a  surge  of  violence  in  Baghdad  since  March
   parliamentary  elections  that  yielded  no  clear  winner.  Security
   officials  blame  the  string  of attacks on al-Qaida in Iraq, raising
   fears   the  country's  political  uncertainty  is  fueling  insurgent
   violence.
   Violence  has  been  relatively  low  in  Anbar since 2006, when Sunni
   militant  leaders turned against al-Qaida and started to help U.S. and
   Iraqi forces fight insurgents.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

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