Iraq Struck by Series of Bombings
Edward Yeranian 25 August 2010
Iraqi officials say a series of apparently coordinated attacks across the country have killed at least 52 people.
VOA Cairo correspondent Edward Yeranian discusses situation in Iraq:
Most of the violence Wednesday appears to have targeted Iraqi security forces. It comes as the United States prepares to officially end combat operations.
The deadliest incident took place in the southern town of Kut, where a suicide car bombing near a government building killed at least 20 people and wounded about 90. Authorities say at least 15 of those killed were police officers.
In Baghdad, a suicide car bombing outside of a police station killed 15 people and wounded nearly 60.
Other attacks in Iraq have occurred in towns including Kirkuk, Buhriz, Karbala and Basra.
A recent rise in violence has coincided with the U.S. withdrawal of combat troops from the country.
U.S. President Barack Obama has set an August 31 deadline for the end of combat operations in Iraq.
The U.S. military announced Tuesday that there are now fewer than 50,000 U.S. troops in the country. Those troops have shifted their mission to advising and training Iraqi security forces until the end of 2011, when all U.S. troops are to leave.
Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and AFP.
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