An Iraqi woman react at the scene of a blast in central Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Massive explosions hit apartment buildings across Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and wounding scores more in the latest sign that Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the country's unresolved election.
Rescuers search for survivors at the scene of a bomb attack in central Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Massive explosions hit apartment buildings across Baghdad killing at least 34 and wounding more than 100 in the latest sign that Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the country's unresolved electio
At least seven bombs ripped through apartment buildings across Baghdad Tuesday and another struck a market, killing at least 50 people and wounding more than 180, authorities said.
The explosions were the latest in a five-day spree of attacks in and around the capital that have killed at least 119 people. Several bombs were planted inside empty apartments, the government said.
Rescuers search for survivors at the scene of a bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. At least five massive bombs hit apartment buildings across the capital, killing at least 39 people and wounding more than 130. It was the latest sign Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the unresolved election.
Rescuers search for survivors at the scene of a bomb attack in central Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Massive explosions hit apartment buildings across Baghdad killing at least 34 and wounding more than 100 in the latest sign that Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the country's unresolved election.
Iraqis inspect the scene of a bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. At least five massive bombs hit apartment buildings across the capital, killing at least 39 people and wounding more than 130. It was the latest sign Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the unresolved election.
Iraqis gather at the scene of a bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. At least five massive bombs hit apartment buildings across the capital, killing at least 39 people and wounding more than 130. It was the latest sign Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the unresolved election.
Maryam Abdullah, 3, is treated at a hospital in Baghdad after she was wounded in a bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. At least five massive bombs hit apartment buildings across the capital, killing at least 49 people and wounding more than 160. It was the latest sign Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the unresolved election.
Rescuers search for survivors at the scene of a bomb attack in central Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Massive explosions hit apartment buildings across Baghdad killing at least 34 and wounding more than 100 in the latest sign that Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the country's unresolved election.
Rescuers search for survivors at the scene of a bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. At least five massive bombs hit apartment buildings across the capital, killing at least 39 people and wounding more than 130. It was the latest sign Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the unresolved election.
Rescuers search for survivors at the scene of a bomb attack in central Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Massive explosions hit apartment buildings across Baghdad killing at least 34 and wounding more than 100 in the latest sign that Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the country's unresolved election.
Rescuers search for survivors at the scene of a bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. At least five massive bombs hit apartment buildings across the capital, killing at least 39 people and wounding more than 130. It was the latest sign Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the unresolved election.
An Iraqi policeman inspects the scene of a bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. At least five massive bombs hit apartment buildings across the capital, killing at least 39 people and wounding more than 130. It was the latest sign Iraq's fragile security could dissolve in the chaos of the unresolved election
The explosions took place in mostly Shiite neighbourhoods in the capital
A large explosion rocked the centre of Baghdad Tuesday morning, two days after triple suicide car bombings killed 30
The violence, which has largely targeted families and homes, is reminiscent of the sectarian bloodshed that tore Iraq apart from 2005 to 2007 and prompted the United States to send tens of thousands more troops to the front lines. Since that time, however, sectarian violence and attacks on civilians have flared in cycles, especially surrounding important events such as last month's still-disputed election.
Iraqi and U.S. officials both blamed the latest spike in attacks on al-Qaida insurgents seizing on gaping security lapses in the wake of political deadlock that has gripped the country since its March 7 parliamentary election failed to produce a clear winner.
"This is blamed on the power vacuum of course, and on how democracy is being raped in Iraq," former prime minister Ayad Allawi told The Associated Press in an interview. His political coalition, Iraqiya, came out ahead in last month's vote, narrowly edging Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's bloc by just two seats.
"Because people are sensing there are powers who want to obstruct the path of democracy, terrorists and al-Qaida are on the go," Allawi said. "I think their operations will increase in Iraq."
He also raised the prospect that the country's political impasse could last for months as both sides try to cobble together the majority needed to govern.
"It could either be formed in two months or it could last four or five months," he said.
Al-Maliki adviser Sadiq al-Rikabi challenged Allawi's suggestion that Iraqi security forces had let down their guard since the elections.
"It is true that terrorism and attacks are attributed to the political situation the country is experiencing, and we have faced terrorism before elections as well," al-Rikabi said. "Some parts are using terrorism events for political goals."
Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, an Iraqi military spokesman for Baghdad's operations command center, said the attackers detonated homemade bombs and, in one case, a car packed with explosives. He said there were at least seven blasts. The U.S. military in Baghdad said there were eight.
Al-Moussawi said is Iraq in a "state of war" with terrorists.
Police and medical officials said the death toll from Tuesday's explosions was at least 50, and that women and children were among the dead. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to release information publicly.
The first blasts hit around 9:30 a.m. in the primarily Shiite neighborhood of Shula in northwest Baghdad, striking a residential building and an intersection about a mile away, according to police and hospital officials who also spoke on condition of anonymity.
College student Ali Hussein, 22, was riding the bus to school when one of the Shula bombs exploded. He described "people running in different directions with fear."
"Cars began to collide with one another in the street because of fear," said Hussein, who fled for home after the blast. "We saw a cloud of fire and black smoke rising from a building at the explosion site, and while we were terrified by this explosion, another one took place."
A few minutes later, at 9:45 a.m. a bomb left in a plastic bag exploded at a restaurant in the Allawi district downtown, near the Culture Ministry. Dozens of people gathered at the bomb site in the hours after the explosion, digging through bricks in the hopes of finding survivors.
Several of the bombs were planted inside empty apartments by renters who "lured the owners" by paying high prices for the properties, the government said in a statement.
Several hours later, a parked car bomb exploded in a market, killing six civilians, police and hospital officials.
The bombings were the fourth set of attacks with multiple casualties across Iraq in five days.
On Monday, a Shiite couple and four of their children were gunned down in their home outside Baghdad, while more than 40 were killed Sunday after suicide attackers detonated three car bombs near embassies in Baghdad. On Friday, gunmen went house-to-house in a Sunni area south of Baghdad, killing 24 villagers execution-style.
U.S. military and diplomatic officials have sought to downplay the possibility that Iraq is heading back down the path toward sectarian bloodshed.
"We're obviously concerned but we don't see the parallels with what happened a few years ago," U.S. Embassy spokesman Philip Frayne said. "We don't see a sectarian war breaking out again."
He noted that the Friday executions only targeted Sunnis, and are believed to be carried out by al-Qaida, which is a Sunni-based terror group.
Army Lt. Col. Eric Bloom, a U.S. military spokesman, also blamed al-Qaida for all of the attacks, which he described as "random acts of violence."
Experts said it was still too early to speculate on whether the violence signals the onslaught of a return to intense sectarian bloodshed, but voiced concerns that the country's political instability could stoke one.
"These attacks indicate a hopeless effort to mix cards and provoke sectarian dispute among people and turn Iraq again back to square one," said Dr. Hassan Kamil, a political analyst at Baghdad University.
"Politicians are busy in their preparations for the political process and on the other hand we don't have professional security, army and intelligence forces to depend on in keeping security."
At least eight explosions have rocked the Iraqi capital, killing at least 35 people and injuring more than 140 people.
The blasts targeted residential buildings in a mix of Sunni and Shia areas of Baghdad on Tuesday morning.
Police said two car bombs were detonated in Chkook, Khadamiya district, killing at least five people.
In Baghad's western Shula district, another car bomb exploded, causing some buildings to collapse. Several people died in the explosion, Iraqi security sources said.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Baghdad, said those attacks occurred in residential neighbourhoods of the capital.
"[Shula] is a mostly Shia neighbourhood. It used to be a former stronghold of the Mahdi Army, the armed wing of the Sadr movement," our correspondent said, referring to supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr, a Shia leader.
Target not clear
Shula has been a relatively quiet neighbourhood, having not seen been the target of attacks in recent months.
Police said another of the blasts was carried out by a suicide bomber, who detonated explosives on Haifa street in the central Salhiya neighbourhood, near the national museum.
Political unrest
Tuesday's co-ordinated strike follow similar attacks just two days earlier. On Sunday, three suicide car bombsnear foreign diplomatic missions killed at least 30 people and wounded hundreds more.
In the past five days, four attacks have left more than 100 people dead.
The spate of violent attacks comes as Iraqi politicians continue wranglings to form a coalition government following last month's general elections. No clear winner emerged from the poll.
The Sadr political bloc was expected to announce who it would back for prime minister on Tuesday after holding an unofficial referrendum among its supporters, but said late on Monday night that the decision was being postponed.
Nouri al-Maliki, the incumbent prime minister, is reported to have met the group last night, but no details of any agreement have emerged. The Sadr bloc has in the past indicated it would not support al-Maliki staying on for another term as prime minister.
Our correspondent in Baghdad said a lot of negotiations are taking place, but "no agreements so far, no progress, and there is a real fear that the security situation will deteriorate".
"Over the past few days we've been seeing car bombings, shootings, mortar round being fired, as well as improvised explosive device attacks".
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