Winks Blog

30+ Killed in Popular Baghdad Cafe, 25 Wounded

Good afternoon,

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide bomber killed more than 30 people Wednesday in a popular cafe northeast of Baghdad.

The bomber blew himself up in a restaurant in Balad Ruz, 45 miles northeast of Baghdad, two police officers said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

The bomber walked into the cafe where people had gathered around 5:30 p.m. and detonated his explosives among customers, police said. At least 30 people _ a mix of Sunnis and Shiites _ were killed and 25 were wounded, they said.

The U.S. soldiers were killed by the roadside bomb as they patrolled a well-traveled route northwest of Baghdad to clear it of explosives, the military said. Nine soldiers died in two separate attacks on Monday _ the deadliest single day for Americans in Iraq in nearly a month.
Attacks on Shiite pilgrims showed no sign of easing, with at least 11 slain as they streamed toward a Muslim shrine ahead of a weekend holiday.

The violence came a day after two suicide bombers exploded themselves among pilgrims lining up at a checkpoint, killing at least 120 people and wounding about 190, police and hospital officials said.

Mourners carried coffins through Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, where a main street became a swamp of blood and debris after Tuesday's twin attack. Bodies in plastic bags were lined up outside the city's hospital, where the wounded lay on gurneys in crowded hallways.

Have a nice day.

posted by Wink @ 12:24 PM