Double bomb blast kills seven in Ramadi

Two bomb blast in the city of Ramadi have killed at least seven people and left 13 injured. According to Iraqi officials, the bombs went off in quick succession at approximately 18:00 local time (15:00 GMT).

Some of the victims of the second bomb were police officers, who were on the scene investigating the first blast. Ramadi was once an Al-Qa'ida stronghold but now militant attacks are intermittent.

The latest attacks come amid a surge of violence across Iraq. On Wednesday 3rd August, a bomb killed a policeman at Al-Rusafa prison and a general was stabbed to death at his home. Three policemen were also killed when a bomb went off near in Bghdad on Tuesday 2nd August. More deadly attacks were reported in Mosul and Kirkuk in the north, and in Hilla, south of Baghdad.

Just days ago, a new report issued by the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart W. Bowen Junior showed that the security situation in the country is more dangerous than it was a year ago.

Bowen noted an increase in violence and attacks across Iraq as the US military prepares to withdraw its troops. The remainder 47,000 US troops are expected to leave Iraq by the end of the year, despite fears that Iraqi security forces may not be able to cope.

Sources: BBC News, Xinhua, CNN

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

Security situation in Iraq worse than a year ago

A new report issued by the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart W. Bowen Junior shows that the security situation in Iraq is more dangerous than it was a year ago.

The news comes as the US military prepares to withdraw its troops. Speaking about the situation, Bowen noted that the killing of US soldiers and Iraqi officials has risen, along with the number of attacks in Baghdad.

The remaineder 47,000 US troops are expected to withdraw from Iraq by the end of the year, despite fears that Iraqi security forces may not be able to cope.

In his quarterly report to the Congress, Bowen concluded that “Iraq remains an extraordinarily dangerous place to work… It is less safe, in my judgment, than 12 months ago."

The report cited the deaths of 15 US soldiers in June, one of the most violent month for the US military in two years, but also said more Iraqi officials had been assassinated in the past few months than in any other recent period. The report noted that while the US and Iraqi security forces have subdued the threat from the Sunni based insurgency, Shi'a militias are believed to have become more active.

Additionally, the report said the north-eastern province of Diyala, bordering Iran, was "very unstable" with frequent bombings resulting in very high death tolls.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, Bloomberg

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