Baghdad bomb blasts kill eight

According to Iraqi officials, at least eight people have been killed in bomb blasts in a market in Baghdad. Three explosions went off in the commercial district of Shurja, as people were buying food for the major Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. It is thought that at least 21 people were injured in the attacks.

Violence in Iraq has declined since 2006-7, but isolated attacks on civilians and security personnel are still prevalent. The latest explosions come amid increased security across Iraq for the Eid holiday.

The bombs are thought to have been planted throughout the market in order to cause maximum damage, and parts of it were on fire after the explosions. One witness told Reuters news agency: "I can see fire and black smoke mounting and a large number of fire engines, ambulances and police patrols rushing to the market.”

There has been a spurge of violence in the country as the last of the US troops prepare to leave for good. Official figures says 258 people were killed in violence nationwide in October. The increase has raised concerns that the violence might increase even more once the US military hands over security responsibilities to the Iraqis.

Sources: BBC News, WSJ, AFP

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