2 Suicide Bombers Strike in Iraq During Shiite Holiday (INOCENT CIVILIANS !!!!)
By ROBERT F. WORTH
AGHDAD, Iraq, March 31 - Two suicide bombers in cars struck in central and northern Iraq today, killing at least five Iraqis and wounding more than 20 as Shiites gathered around the country to celebrate a religious festival.
The attacks came as United States military officials announced that three American soldiers were killed in action on Wednesday and today.
One suicide bomber drove a sedan packed with explosives into a crowd of celebrating Shiites in the northern city of Tuz Khormato, killing four Iraqis, American military officials said. Two of those killed were Iraqi army soldiers and two were civilians. Iraqi officials said 17 people were wounded in the attack.
In Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, another suicide attacker drove into an American military vehicle, killing one Iraqi civilian and wounding seven, United States military officials said. No Americans were injured in the attack.
The attacks came on the Arbayeen festival, a Shiite holiday marking the end of a traditional 40-day mourning period for Hussein, the martyr who was killed near Karbala in the 7th century. Insurgents have struck before on Shiite holy days, and Iraqi officials expressed warnings in recent days about the possibility of more violence. On Wednesday, insurgents struck two groups of pilgrims on their way to Karbala for the festival, killing at least one and injuring others.
In Mosul, an American soldier was killed and five were injured on Wednesday when three insurgents opened fire as they approached an American checkpoint in a taxi, a military spokesman, Sgt. John Franzen, said. Soldiers at the checkpoint returned fire, killing all three attackers, Sergeant Franzen said. Five Iraqi civilians were also injured in the incident, he added.
In eastern Baghdad, an American soldier was killed Wednesday afternoon when his patrol came under attack with small arms, military officials said. Soldiers saw an Iraqi fleeing into the crowd, and after searching the area, they detained five suspected insurgents for questioning.
A third American soldier was killed in action today in Hawija, in northwestern Iraq, military officials said, without providing further details.
Thirty-five American soldiers were killed in Iraq in March, the lowest monthly death toll in more than a year, according to the Defense Department web site.
Barham Saleh, Iraq's acting prime minister, today extended the state of emergency throughout the country for another 30 days. The interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, is out of the country.
The state of emergency, first imposed just before the invasion of Falluja in November, includes a night curfew and grants the government broad powers to close borders, make arrests without obtaining warrants, and conduct police and military operations.
Today, members of Iraq's newly elected national assembly continued their efforts to settle on a Sunni Arab to serve as the assembly's speaker. The assembly's second session collapsed on Tuesday after members argued about the continuing failure to appoint a new government.
On Wednesday one group of Sunnis nominated Meshaan al Juburi, an assembly member, for the post.
But the leading Shiite alliance in the assembly rejected Mr. Juburi, saying he lacks the support of all the Sunnis in the assembly, said Saad Jawad Qandil, a member of the alliance.
"It is not the policy of the U.I.A. to interfere in this issue," Mr. Qandil said, referring to his political group, the United Iraqi Alliance.
If no decision is reached on an assembly speaker by Saturday or Sunday, when the assembly is expected to meet again, the matter could be put to a vote, Mr. Qandil said.
Zaineb Obeid contributed reporting for this article. |
