13 killed in Baghdad bomb explosion

Four bombs exploded near Baghdad’s heavily
fortified “Green Zone” and a busy square in the
centre of the capital on Wednesday, killing at least
13 people, security sources said.
The blasts came a day after two rockets were
fired into the Green Zone, home to the prime
minister’s office and Western embassies,
heightening concerns about Iraq’s ability to protect
strategic sites as security deteriorates.
Security sources said on Wednesday that two
parked car bombs were detonated opposite the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, killing five people.
The interior ministry said in a statement that the
attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who
blew himself up as he was being searched.
The other car was driven by a suicide bomber who
blew himself and the vehicle up outside a
restaurant, close to a checkpoint one street away
from the Green Zone, killing four people, the
security sources said.
Another explosion near Khullani Square in central
Baghdad left four others dead.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the
attacks, but Sunni Islamist militants have been
regaining ground in Iraq, particularly in Anbar
province, where they overran two cities on Jan 1.