Baghdad bombings kill 25, wound 64February 7, 2015 - 15:12 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A pair of bombings in the Iraqi capital Saturday, Feb 7, killed nearly two dozen people hours before the city's longtime curfew was set to come to an end, the Associated Press reports. The deadliest attack happened in the New Baghdad section of the city. Police officials said a suicide bomber targeted a street filled with hardware stores, killing 14 people and wounding at least 38. The second attack took place shortly afterward in central Baghdad's popular Shorja market. Police said two improvised explosive devices detonated 25 meters apart from one another, killing at least 11 people and wounding 26. There has been no claim for either attack thus far. Hospital officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke anonymously as they are not authorized to brief the media. The incident comes ahead of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's decision to lift Iraq's longtime curfew beginning at midnight Sunday. Baghdad has remained relatively calm amid a rampage in northern and western Iraq by the al Qaida-inspired Islamic State group. Recent bombings have frequently targeted Shiite-majority areas in the capital, but the violence has been considerably subdued from the darkest days of sectarian bloodletting in 2006 and 2007. Iraqi officials have repeated assured that the capital is secure, despite the occasional targeting of Baghdad's Shiite-majority neighborhoods by the Sunni militant group. 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. |