Scores killed in Iraq market blasts

01/02/2008| IslamWeb

At least 43 people have been killed and at least 85 have been injured by bomb blasts in two crowded markets in Baghdad, police have said.

A female suicide bomber detonated explosives at about 10:20am (0720 GMT) at the al-Ghazl pet market in the centre of the Iraqi capital on Friday morning, killing 35 people, police said.

Another female suicide bomber struck at a bird market in southeast Baghdad's al-Jadida neighborhood killing at least eight people, police said.

An official at Baghdad's al-Kindi hospital said: "We have a disaster here. There are too many bodies to count. Many of them are just pieces of flesh."

Previous attacks

Al-Ghazl market has been struck several times since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and had only recently begun to recover as a popular venue amid tightened security.

A bomb attack in November at al-Ghazl killed at least 13 people, with the US military blaming it on Iranian-backed Shia fighters.

Friday's attacks come as Iraqi officials reported that civilian deaths across Iraq in January fell to their lowest level in nearly two years.

Combined figures obtained from the defense, interior and health ministries showed that a total of 541 Iraqis were killed in January, compared to 887 in October.

US military commanders say attacks of all types are down to levels not seen since before February 2006.

PHOTO CAPTION

Scene of Baghdad animal market blast (01/02/08)