Bombs in disputed northern Iraq kill 3 civilians, 14 Shiites in Baghdad

Three car bombings killed 14 Shi'ite Muslims during mourning processions in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Tuesday, police and hospital sources said.   

Dozens more were injured in the explosions. They struck during the holy month of Ashura, of special significance to Shiites who are prime targets of al-Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate and other Sunni Muslim insurgents.

Earlier, provincial officials said that three car bombs and a roadside device have exploded in and near the disputed northern city of Kirkuk, killing three civilians and wounding 23 others. 
                      
Kirkuk, 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of Baghdad, is home to a mix of Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen, who all have competing claims to the oil-rich area.                         

A police officer said the three bombs in parked cars exploded simultaneously Tuesday morning in two Kurdish residential areas in the city, killing three and wounding 18.                             

He said another bomb exploded minutes later in a market in the Sunni-dominated town of Hawija west of Kirkuk, wounding five civilians.                     

A health official confirmed the causality figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.


AP