Iraq: Wave of Bomb Blasts Ahead of Arab League Summit

March 20, 2012 from Euronews

The latest bomb blast to rip through a city in Iraq exploded in the oil rich province of Kirkuk where police say a total of three explosions killed nine and wounded 39. The string of attacks, say sources have now claimed the lives of at least 39 people, the deadliest in the holy city of Kerbala where at least 13 were killed. Sixteen car and roadside bombs have exploded across the country, one in Mahmudiya in the south killed three people. The blasts come despite heightened security ahead of next weeks Arab League summit in Baghdad. Officials said about 100,000 troops have been deployed to safeguard the politicians. Analysts believe the Iraq government will be in the spotlight as they host the regions leaders for the first time since the withdrawal of US troops in December.

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Iraq

Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia encompassing the Mesopotamian alluvial plain, the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, and the eastern part of the Syrian Desert. Iraq borders Syria to the northwest, Turkey to the north, Iran to the... Explore this topic

Karbala

Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people. The city, best known as the location of the Battle of Karbala, is amongst the holiest cities for Shia Muslims... Explore this topic

Kirkuk

Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate. It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, 236 kilometres north of the capital, Baghdad. Kirkuk city lies 83 km south of Arbil, 149 km southeast of Mosul, 97 km west of Sulaymaniyah, and 116 km northeast Ti... Explore this topic

Baghdad

Bagdad ist die Hauptstadt des Irak und des gleichnamigen Gouvernements. Sie ist mit 5,4 Millionen Einwohnern eine der größten Städte im Nahen Osten. In der Metropolregion, die weit über die Grenzen des Gouvernements hinausreicht, leben 11,8 Millionen Menschen, was etwa 40 Proz... Explore this topic

Car bomb

A car bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device, is an improvised explosive device placed inside a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupa... Explore this topic

Mahmoudiyah

Mahmoudiyah is a Sunni Arab Iraqi rural city south of Baghdad. Known as the “Gateway to Baghdad,” the city's proximity to Baghdad made it central to the counterinsurgency campaign. Mahmudiya District has approximately 550,000 inhabitants, about 92 percent of them Sunni Arabs a... Explore this topic

Improvised explosive device

An improvised explosive device is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery round, attached to a detonating mechanism. Roadside bombs are a common... Explore this topic

Explosion

An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known as detonations and travel via supersonic shock waves. Su... Explore this topic

Bomb

A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanical stress, t... Explore this topic

Anniversary

An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary... Explore this topic

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Iraq

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