This Article is From Aug 20, 2009

95 killed in Baghdad bomb carnage

95 killed in Baghdad bomb carnage

AFP image

Baghdad:

A wave of attacks across Baghdad killed at least 95 people on Wednesday in the worst day of carnage to hit the Iraqi capital in 18 months and the bloodiest since US troops pulled out of the conflict-torn nation's cities.

An interior ministry official said 563 people were also wounded in attacks that included two massive truck bombings outside government ministries just minutes apart, including one near the heavily fortified Green Zone, a car bombing and a spate of mortar attacks.

"In the two attacks 95 people were killed and 563 wounded," the official said. A previous toll had 75 dead.

It was the deadliest day in Iraq since February 2008, and came on the sixth anniversary of a truck bombing on the UN compound in Baghdad that killed UN special envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 others.

Iraqis pointed the finger at their domestic security forces, which in turn blamed members of executed former dictator Saddam Hussein's regime.

"I was in my home with my family when the roof collapsed on us," said Hamid, 46, who lives a few hundred metres (yards) from the foreign ministry compound which was targeted along with the finance ministry.

"The government promised us security would return, but where is the security?"

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