Iraq Violence Leaves At least 33 Dead

Local Editor

Attacks across Iraq, including a bombing at a mosque north of Baghdad, killed 33 people Friday in the latest eruption of violence to rock the country, officials said.

The deadliest of Friday's attacks took place when a bomb struck a mosque that was full of worshippers in the village of Umm al-Adham on the outskirts of Baqouba, a former militant stronghold 60 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, police officials said.

Police said the blast killed 30 people and wounded at least 45.

In the northern city of Mosul, police said a roadside bomb killed two soldiers and wounded two others. Also, authorities said gunmen shot and killed Khalaf Hameed, a local municipal official in Shora district, just south of Mosul.
Officials in nearby hospitals confirmed the causality figures for all the attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The tensions are being inflamed in part by the sectarian divisions reflected in the civil war in neighboring Syria.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Friday's attacks.
Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for a number of large-scale bombings in recent months and is believed to be behind other coordinated attacks.
More than 4,000 people have been killed in violent attacks since the start of April, including 804 just in August, according to United Nations figures.

Baqouba, where the bomb targeted the mosque, was hit with deadly violence earlier this week. Three car bombs targeting outdoor markets killed at least 10 civilians and wounded more than 30 there Tuesday.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq also claimed responsibly Friday for a failed assassination attempt that took place early this month against a prominent militia leader opposed to it, according to a statement posted on a militant website.

Al-Qaeda said that three suicide bombers tried to storm the house of Wisam al-Hardan in Baghdad after attacking all the checkpoints leading to his residence.
Hardan was recently appointed by the Iraqi prime minister to lead the anti-al-Qaeda militia known as Sahwa.

Source: News agencies, Edited by website team