Death toll in Baghdad suicide attack reaches 26June 18, 2013 - 20:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A double suicide bombing attack at a Shiite mosque in Baghdad has killed at least 26 people and wounded dozens more, Belfast Telegraph said. The coordinated blasts were the latest in a string of attacks hitting Iraq, reviving fears the country is headed back toward the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed it to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007. Police and hospital officials provided the casualty numbers for the blasts, which happened near and inside the mosque in Baghdad's northern Qahira neighbourhood. Police said the first bomber detonated his explosives at a security checkpoint near the mosque in an apparent attempt to distract the authorities. Amid the commotion, a second bomber slipped into the mosque and blew himself up while worshippers were performing midday prayers. Violence has surged in Iraq in recent months, along with sectarian and political tensions. Insurgents frequently attack Shiites deemed by Sunni extremists as infidels and non-Muslims. There was no claim of responsibility, but suicide bombings and attacks against Shiite worshippers are frequently the work of al Qaida's Iraq arm. The bloodshed roiling Iraq has risen to levels not seen since 2008. Nearly 2,000 have been killed since the start of April, including more than 220 this month. On Sunday a wave of apparently coordinated bombings and a shooting killed at least 51 people. Fifteen people were killed in bomb attacks on Monday, including one caused by a suicide bomber who set off his explosives-laden belt among a group of policemen in Fallujah, west of Baghdad. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |