Al Qaeda blamed for market bombs

Diwaniya, Iraq – Bombs killed at least 44 people at markets in Iraq today, and authorities said the attacks bore the hallmarks of sectarian attacks on Shi’ite Muslims by al Qaeda Sunni militants.

A bomb in a small truck exploded in a market in the city of Diwaniya, killing 40 people, and other blasts killed four more near the city of Kerbala, police and officials said.

The Diwaniya bombing was near a Shi’ite mosque where pilgrims are gathering on their way to Kerbala to celebrate the birthday of one of their most important imams, al-Mahdi, this week.

At least 15 shops were destroyed. Two burnt-out vehicles stood near the site of the explosion. Witnesses said the bomb appeared to have been planted in a delivery truck.

Earlier

in the day, two bombs in a vegetable wholesale market killed four people and wounded 29 near the central city of Kerbala, hospital and police sources said.

Sunni insurgents often attack Shi’ite targets to try to reignite sectarian violence that killed tens of thousands of people in 2006-07.