Wave of Car Bombs Kills Dozens in Iraq

BAGHDAD — A deadly upsurge of violence in Iraq claimed more victims Monday when 15 car bombs killed at least 46 people and injured many more, according to security sources. 

Ten of the bombings took place in Baghdad, mainly in Shiite neighborhoods. Targets included a hospital, a restaurant and markets. At least 30 people were killed and more than 100 wounded, authorities said.

A charred car rests in Sadr City, a district in Baghdad. Ten car bombs exploded in Baghdad early Monday, mainly in Shiite neighborhoods.

Officials in the Iraqi capital tightened security in the aftermath of the latest blasts, fearing that more devices could yet be detonated. There were long lines at vehicle checkpoints in the capital as the security services searched cars for explosives. Since the start of Ramadan on July 10, coordinated bombings and other attacks have intensified. That has revived fears that Iraq could be returning to the levels of sectarian violence seen in the last decade when the country moved to the brink of civil war following the American-led invasion in 2003.

In Kut, southeast of Baghdad, two car bombs exploded near a bus station leaving 6 people dead and about 20 others injured, according to a medical source.

Two car bombs also detonated in Basra, in southern Iraq, killing at least 3 people near a market and wounding 14 others, a police source said. And in Muthanna Province, another car bomb exploded at a market in the city of Smawa, killing 6 people and injuring 19, according to a police source. Continue Reading...