செ:ஈராக் ஷியா பிரிவினரின் சந்தையில் குண்டுவெடிப்பு 19 பேர் பலி

ஈராக் ஷியா பிரிவினரின் சந்தையில் கார் பாம் வெடித்ததில் 19 பேர் மரணம்.

சுன்னி முஸ்லீம் தீவிரவாதிகள் தொடர்ந்து ஷியா பிரிவினரின் பகுதிகளில் குண்டுகளையும் கார் பாம்களையும் வெடித்து பொதுமக்களை கொலை செய்துவருகிறார்கள்.

ஷியா பிரிவினர் சென்ற ஒரு பஸ்ஸை கடத்திச்சென்று 15 பேரை சிறைபிடித்துள்ளனர்.

Car bomb kills 19 in Baghdad
SINAN SALAHEDDIN
BAGHDAD
May 28, 2007 at 7:23 AM EDT

Associated Press — A car bomb exploded in central Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 19 people and wounding 46, police and hospital officials said.

The bomb went off at 2 p.m. in the Sinak commercial district on the east side of the Tigris River.

Ghaith Karim, a 38-year-old Shia cloth merchant, said he saw fire ball and heard the loud blast.

“It was tremendous. I felt the ground was shaking,” Mr. Karim said. “When I reached the scene, I found legs, charred pieces of bodies and pools of blood. Casualties were being evacuated by civilian cars. Firefighters battled to extinguish the fire.”

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Also in central Baghdad, a battle raged after insurgents hijacked two buses and kidnapped at least 15 passengers, police said.

At least three policemen had been killed and eight wounded, including four passers-by, authorities said.

The small buses where travelling through the Fadhil neighborhood, a Sunni enclave in central Baghdad, when they were waylaid by unidentified gunmen in three cars at 10:15 a.m.

The insurgents then abducted at least 15 passengers and took them to a nearby abandoned government building, a police officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

The buses were heading from Baghdad's central Bab al-Mudham bus station to the city's eastern Shiite neighbourhoods.

The fighting began when Iraqi security forces reached the scene about 30 minutes later, police said.

Nine militants were arrested as they attacked security forces from nearby alleys with light weapons.

According to Iraqi police, at least two U.S. helicopters were hovering overhead and U.S. forces had taken up positions near the fighting, but were not directly involved.

Sunni insurgents have repeatedly clashed with U.S. and Iraqi forces in the Fadhil area, which is also known for its high crime rate.