Bomb blasts in markets across Baghdad kill 23 people

   
Bombs left inside busy markets in mainly Sunni Muslim districts of Baghdad killed at least 23 people on Thursday, police said.           

The deadliest attack took place in Saba'a al-Bour on the capital's northern outskirts, where three bombs exploded killing at least 15 people.             

This comes after Iraqi officials said a bombing at an outdoor market in southern Baghdad has killed seven people, including two women.                            

Police officials said a bomb hidden behind a kiosk went off on Thursday as shoppers crowded inside the al-Athorein market in the city's Dora neighborhood. The officials said the explosion also wounded 17 people.                                  

Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media.                   

Insurgents in Iraq often target crowded places such as markets, cafes and mosques in order to inflict huge casualties. More than 4,000 people have been killed in violence during the past few months.                          


AP/REUTERS