Deadly bomb blasts hit Iraq

According to a number of sources, dozens of people have been killed and many injured in a series of bomb attacks across Iraq. At least four people died when two car bombs targeting Shi'a pilgrims went off in the town of Karbala.

Further bombings have been reported in Diwaniya, where an estimated 25 people died, and Taji. There has been a surge of attacks in Iraq in recent weeks; with highest number of deaths reported in June, since US troops withdrew in December.

It is thought that the Karbala attacks were targeting Shi'a pilgrims congregating before a religious ceremony on Friday 6 July. The attack is said to have injured at least 30 people.

According to Reuters news agency, a car bomb at a market in the city of Diwaniya killed at least 25 people and injured 40 others. While deadly blast in the Sunni city of Taji have killed three people and injured 15 more. According to AP news agency, a policeman was among the dead.

In other news, Iraq's oil revenues have dropped by 17.6 per cent from May to June. According to the government, this is due to dipping prices in the international market and the diversion of some production to meet domestic needs.

The violence-plagued country is heavily reliant on oil revenues, which make up about 95 per cent of the fragile democratic government's budget. Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said Iraq earned $6.453 billion in June, with an achieved average price of $90 p/b. May's revenues stood at $7.831 billion with an average price of $103.039 p/b. It is estimated that June's oil exports averaged out at 2.403 million b/d, down from an average of 2.452 million b/d in May as the ministry diverted some production to refineries.

Sources: AP, BBC News, Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.

Iraq: More than 20 killed in latest twin suicide bombings

More than 20 people have been killed in two car bomb explosions in the capital city of Diwaniya in the Al-Qadsiyah province. The bombings transpired outside the provincial governor Salim Hussein Alwan's residence. Dozens of people, including policemen, were reinjured in the blasts.

Diwaniya, 130km south of the capital city of Baghdad, is a predominantly Shi'a region and a hotbed for several of Iraq's militant groups.

Speaking to Xinhua news agency, an unnamed provincial official said: "The latest reports said that 25 people were killed and some 34 others were wounded by the double car bomb blasts outside the house of al-Qadsiyah governor…Most of the victims were security guards who were gathering at the site and some other victims were residents inside the neighbouring houses." The source addeded that, "Alwan himself escaped the attack unharmed".

Last week, armed militants and suicide bombers stormed a provincial council building in the city of Baquba, killing at least eight people. Violence in Iraq has deteriorated significantly in the last couple of years but isolated incidents are frequent and underline the challenges facing Iraq's government.

Sources: BBC News, Los Angeles Times, Xinhua

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.