Bomb Kills 9 En Route To Shiite Shrine

[WillyT]

Bomb kills 9 en route to Shiite shrine
Explodes next to bus that was to transport worshippers; kids among dead

<snip>

BAGHDAD - A car bomb exploded in Baghdad on Sunday next to a parked minibus waiting for worshippers to board and travel to a Shiite shrine in the Iraqi capital, a police officer said. The blast killed nine people, including two boys, 9 and 14 years old. After the blast, police banned cars from the area surrounding the shrine in the Kazimiyah district until further notice, the officer said.

Earlier Sunday, police found a parked booby-trapped minibus in the same area and detonated it without casualties, added the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to release the information.

Separately, police on Sunday reported that a suicide truck bomber followed by dozens of gunmen in a swarm of vehicles launched a coordinated attack on a regional police station north of Baghdad, killing eight Iraqi civilians. Police fatally shot the suicide bomber but his explosives-laden fuel tanker blew up near police headquarters in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, killing the eight and wounding four other civilians in the late Saturday attack.

Immediately after the blast, about 20 vehicles with at least 60 gunmen drove up to the site and fought with police, said a police official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to media. At least three police officers were wounded in the ensuing fighting, which ended after U.S. military helicopters flew overhead.

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Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21293563/

Good thing the surge is working, eh???

:evilfrown:

[aquart]

1. Just like WaPo says.