Deadly blast hits southern Iraq
10 June 2009
A deadly car bomb has exploded in a crowded market in the southern Iraqi town of Bathaa, killing at least 28 people, say officials.
Dozens of people were reported to have been injured in the mid-morning attack.
The area has been the scene of fierce fighting in the past between rival Shia militia factions.
The attack comes weeks before US forces are due to withdraw from towns and cities in Iraq, leading to concerns that violence could escalate.
Police say the bomb was in a parked car in the town of Bathaa in Dhiqa province, about 320km (200 miles) south-east of Baghdad.
"There was a big explosion, it was an awful incident" said Farhan Fadel, 31, who suffered a broken leg and injured abdomen in the blast.
Hassan Ali, a 44-year-old grocer, said some of his friends were killed or injured.
"There was smoke everywhere," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
There were conflicting reports about casualty figures, with official sources withdrawing their initial statement that 30 people had been killed.
Dozens of people were reported to have been injured in the mid-morning attack.
The area has been the scene of fierce fighting in the past between rival Shia militia factions.
The attack comes weeks before US forces are due to withdraw from towns and cities in Iraq, leading to concerns that violence could escalate.
Police say the bomb was in a parked car in the town of Bathaa in Dhiqa province, about 320km (200 miles) south-east of Baghdad.
"There was a big explosion, it was an awful incident" said Farhan Fadel, 31, who suffered a broken leg and injured abdomen in the blast.
Hassan Ali, a 44-year-old grocer, said some of his friends were killed or injured.
"There was smoke everywhere," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
There were conflicting reports about casualty figures, with official sources withdrawing their initial statement that 30 people had been killed.
source:bbc.com/middle east
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