Iraq

Attacks targeting Iraqi police, army leave dozens dead

Posted: Sep 9, 2012 10:00 AM by Mohammed Tawfeeq CNN

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A series of attacks and blasts targeting Iraqi military and police left at least 46 people dead and 125 others wounded Sunday as the nation struggles with violence against security officials.

The incidents are the latest in a rash of similar attacks. In August, more than 70 Iraqi security forces were killed, according to the Interior Ministry.

"I strongly condemn the heinous attacks and the senseless violence that, once again, have claimed dozens of lives," the United Nations' special representative for Iraq, Martin Kobler, said in a statement Sunday.

The Sunday attacks hit a number of cities. Here is a breakdown:

Amara bombings

Two car bombs exploded in central Amara, killing two people and wounding 10 others, according to two officials with the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

The attacks took place on a busy commercial street, the officials said.

Kirkuk bombings

A car bomb targeting a police recruitment center killed eight people and wounded 36 others, officials said.

In another attack, two blasts -- from car and roadside bombs -- hit the intelligence headquarters, killing eight and wounding 50 others.

A car bomb and a roadside bomb in the town of Tuz-Kurmato targeted Iraqi security forces, killing three people and wounding 11 others, officials said.

Tikrit attacks

Gunmen targeted an army checkpoint that leads to a military base, killing four Iraqi soldiers, the Interior Ministry said.

Afterward, the gunmen planted homemade bombs at the checkpoint. When more Iraqi soldiers arrived at the scene to investigate, several of the devices detonated, killing seven soldiers and wounding seven more, Interior Ministry officials said.

Western Basra car bomb

A car bomb exploded at an outdoor market, killing three people, the Interior Ministry said. The blast, which took place near an army checkpoint, also wounded 25 people.

Taji blasts

Car bombs exploded in three separate locations, killing one and wounding seven.

Nasiriya roadside bombs

Two bombs exploded on a busy commercial street, killing six people and wounding 10 others, the Interior Ministry said.

The bombings took place near the French Consulate, security officials said, adding that they did not know whether the consulate was targeted.

Falluja shooting

Gunmen shot dead an Iraqi soldier at a checkpoint in central Falluja, officials said.

Abu Ghraib

Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army checkpoint and killed three soldiers, officials said.

Recent attacks

Last week, gunmen killed at least five police officers in the city of Ramadi, police said.

Iraq has battled political infighting among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, raising worries that the political conflict will return to the level of violence that nearly tore the country apart in 2006.

While violence has decreased since the height of the U.S.-led war in 2005 and 2006, there has been a sharp escalation in attacks in recent months. In July, the number of dead hit a two-year peak with 325 deaths reported, according to the Interior Ministry. That's the deadliest single month since August 2010, it said.

Baghdad's Shiite-dominated government has blamed the recent attacks on Sunni insurgents with ties to al Qaeda.

U.S. troops completed their withdrawal from Iraq in December.

Topics: Baghdad, Iraq