Baghdad, Iraq At least 132 people were killed and 520 wounded in twin suicide car bombings in central Baghdad Sunday, officials said -- the deadliest attack on civilians in Iraq this year.
Two car bombs detonated in quick succession near Iraqi government buildings about 10:30 a.m., an Interior Ministry official said.
One of the bombs exploded outside Baghdad's governorate building and the second one outside the Justice Ministry, about 500 meters (1,600 feet) away.
Plumes of smoke billowed from the sites of the attacks as victims fled, some with blood streaming down their faces. The streets were strewn with debris, including charred cars and chunks of concrete from damaged buildings. Some government buildings and others in the area were heavily damaged.
The bombings came a day after the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, visited the country for the first time, and on the same day Iraqi officials were due to try to break a logjam holding up a new election law. Iraqis are supposed to go to the polls in January, but parliament still has not passed the legislation, putting the balloting in limbo.
Iraq's parliament failed Wednesday to reach agreement on a new electoral law, so the issue was supposed go to the Political Council for National Security on Sunday. It is not clear if the bombings will derail the political council's discussions.
Rice completed a two-day visit to Iraq on Saturday that included a condolence stop at the Foreign Ministry, where a huge bombing killed more than 100 in August.
Security was tightened around Baghdad in the wake of the August 19 attack, which Iraqis dubbed "Bloody Wednesday." Blast walls were erected around the city and more checkpoints were set up.
Iraqi journalists grilled officials on TV on Sunday, demanding to know how the new attacks could have taken place given the new security measures.
An Iraqi official said the government was working to bolster security, but regional cooperation was needed to help fight suicide bombers.
"We are calling on international and U.N. envoys to come and find out why Iraq is being targeted this way," said Ali al-Dabbagh, the Iraqi government spokesman.
The spokesman said Iraq's setbacks are mainly caused by a fledgling intelligence that has "not been completed."
The European Union condemned "this terrorist attack" and sent its condolences to the families of the victims, the Swedish presidency said in a statement.
The Foreign Ministry, near the site of Sunday's blasts, was one of six places attacked on August 19. That day's attacks killed at least 100 people and wounded hundreds more. The area is close to the heavily guarded Green Zone that also houses the U.S. Embassy.
The August attacks shook confidence in the abilities of Iraqi security forces who took over securing urban areas from U.S. troops over the summer.
The Iraqi government has blamed Syria for harboring former Baath party members, who it said planned the August attacks, and asked for their handover.
Relations between the two neighbors were strained after the bombings. Each withdrew its ambassador from the other's country.
Security in the capital was tightened after the August bombings, and a decision to normalize the situation in Baghdad by taking down blast walls was reversed and checkpoints increased.
Iraqi and U.S. officials have warned of a possible increase in violence ahead of the country's national elections scheduled for January 16.
Loading...
1:45
Death toll past 132 in Baghdad bombings 10/25/2009by foxgv32,863 views
you are same like all of my great muslims friend who they are not deep in islam...muslim when getting deep in islam be different,
yasm2002 2 years ago
Believe me, they want to make islam black..
28zaid 2 years ago
are you kidding, when some do that and kill even himself, this is from teaching of islam, of jihad and control..
Also religion must be not involve with politics
did you ever see hindo poor person kill himself? did you see jew did it? even the iraqi jew that kicked from iraq...did you see iraqi christians put bomb in mousce after they burn their churches?....so it is religion books and teaching
God bless Iraq
God bless Iraq
yasm2002 2 years ago
ISLAM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT!
It's the people, Money and hate
28zaid 2 years ago
1400 years when islam started and killing is more and more...because islam created what they call it jihad, so these people they don't think by killing they are doing anything wrong, it is from islam teaching.
I lived with muslims all my life
yasm2002 2 years ago
Rock and Roll the meaning:
1) REACT
2) MARRIAGE then COMFORT RANK
(instant money printing, laugh prints instant, prof kid, bit0h, 3000 days celibate, no guilt by association, cheery)
ans:safe engineering (maple graphing) use functions for distribution.
KristinaBrooker 2 years ago 2