Five killed in northern Iraq bomb attacks

Jan 10, 2012, 13:52 GMT

Baghdad - At least five people were killed in separate bomb attacks north of Iraq's capital Baghdad on Tuesday, security officials said.

The attacks came one day after a wave of violence against Shiite pilgrims left 15 dead.

The first blast was caused by a roadside bomb, killing three boys on their way home from school in the city of Tikrit, some 170 kilometres north of Baghdad.

Earlier, two government employees were killed in the northern city of Baiji, when a bomb exploded under the car transporting them to work.

Both Tikrit and Baiji are Sunni-dominated areas that formed a strong base of support for former leader Saddam Hussein.

Tuesday's attacks followed a series of car bomb attacks on Monday, targeting Shiite neighbourhoods in the capital, that left at least 15 people dead and more than 50 wounded.

Hundreds of thousands of Shiites are making their way to Karbala's holy Shiite shrine this week to mark the Arbaeen pilgrimage, which commemorates 40 days martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Mohammed.

Observers believe that ongoing insurgent attacks are linked to Iraq's deteriorating political situation, raising fears of escalating sectarian strife after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite, recently sought to remove two rival Sunni politicians.