At least 99 killed in attacks in Iraq

May 11, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

BAGHDAD

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a textile factory Monday in a crowd that gathered after two cars bombings at the same spot in the worst of a series of attacks killing nearly 100 across Iraq, the deadliest day this year.

The government blamed al-Qaida in Iraq for violence in Baghdad, saying the terror group is stepping up its attacks now to exploit political instability. More than two months after the March 7 elections, it is not clear who will control the next Iraqi government and the U.S. is planning to pull out half of its 92,000 troops over the next four months.

In the latest in a series of attacks that killed 99 people, three bombs hit the southern Shiite port city of Basra in the evening. At least one exploded in a marketplace, killing at least 15, hospital and police officials said.

The violence began in the capital where at least 10 people were killed in what appeared to be coordinated attacks against police and army checkpoints across Baghdad. Both Shiites and Sunnis were targeted in attacks around the country.

The most deadly incident was an afternoon bombing in the Shiite city of Hillah, the capital of Babil province 60 miles south of Baghdad. A suicide bomber with explosives strapped to his belt blew himself up among a crowd trying to help victims of two car bombs that went off earlier outside a textile factory, said Babil provincial police spokesman Maj. Muthana Khalid.

At least 45 were killed and 140 wounded in the triple blasts, Khalid and al-Hillah hospital director Zuhair al Khafaji said.

Khalid said the two car bombs parked outside the factory about 25 yards apart exploded first as workers were leaving the factory around 1:30 p.m. They were believed to be detonated by remote control.