Wave of bombings in Iraq during holiday kills 64
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BAGHDAD (AP) - A wave of car bombings, mainly targeting cafes and markets around the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, killed 64 people Saturday out celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, officials said.
Violence has been on the rise across Iraq since a deadly crackdown by government forces on a Sunni protest camp in April, and attacks against civilians and security forces notably spiked during Ramadan. The surge of attacks has sparked fears that the country could spiral into a new round of widespread sectarian bloodshed similar to that which brought the country to the edge of civil war in 2006 and 2007.
Police said the deadliest of Saturday's attacks took place when a suicide bomber drove his explosive-laden car into a residential area in the town of Tuz Khormato, killing eight people and wounding dozens, Mayor Shalal Abdool said. The town is about 200 kilometers (130 miles) north of the Iraqi capital.
