BAGHDAD, Iraq – Two bombs struck in quick succession at a pet market Friday morning in central Baghdad, killing at least five people and wounding 57, police said.
The explosives were left in a bag at the al-Ghazil market, where Iraqis can go every Friday to buy dogs, birds, snakes and other animals. Five people were killed and 57 wounded, some seriously, Lt. Ahmed Muhammad Ali said.
About 10 minutes later, an explosion near a Shiite mosque in the eastern Baghdad neighborhood of Jadida killed two civilians and injured five, according to Lt. Ali Abbas. The bomb exploded near a shelter across the street from the Husseiniyat al-Abbas mosque, he said.
A roadside bomb also targeted a patrol in the Mansour district in western Baghdad, wounding two policemen and damaging their vehicle, Lt. Maitham Abdul Razzaq said.
In northern Iraq late Thursday, police said gunmen opened fire on Col. Ziyad Tariq, deputy-commander of the oil protection force in Kirkuk, killing him and a bodyguard and wounding another bodyguard as they left a restaurant, police Brig. Sarhat Qadir said.
He also said a maintenance unit from the oil protection force was attacked by gunmen southwest of Kirkuk and two members were wounded.
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