Middle East News

33 killed in Iraq attacks

Jun 11, 2011, 14:41 GMT

Baghdad - At least 33 people were killed in separate attacks across Iraq in less than 24 hours, security sources said Saturday.

Two consecutive bomb blasts in the northern city of Mosul left 18 dead, including 12 members of the police and army.

The first explosion took place in a parked car and targeted an army patrol in the crowded area of Dawasah in central Mosul. Another explosive device went off shortly after in the same area.

At least 47 people were wounded, including 18 members of the police and armed forces.

Mosul, which is 400 kilometres north of Baghdad, is among the most ethnically diverse, but dangerous, regions of Iraq. Insurgents continue to mount near-daily attacks in the area.

Meanwhile, in central Iraq, gunmen killed a senior member of a government-backed Sunni militia and his three siblings.

Sabar Mahmoud, a senior Sahwa fighter, his two brothers and sister were shot dead in their house, near Samarra town, 170 kilometres north of Baghdad.

Sahwa are Sunni fighters who formerly fought against the United States presence in Iraq but switched alliances to battle remnants of al-Qaeda alongside Iraqi security forces.

Hundreds of Sahwa fighters have been targeted and killed by al-Qaeda militants over the past year.

In Abu Ghreib district, west of Baghdad, shooters killed one civilian in a residential area.

Two blasts targeting an army patrol in Baghdad killed 10 people late Friday, the Aswat al-Iraq news agency reported.