Baghdad attacks kill engineer, politician
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A pair of attacks killed an Iraqi electricity employee and a Shiite politician in Baghdad on Monday, authorities said.
Nine others were wounded in a string of strikes across the Iraqi capital that appeared to take aim at government and security officials — a frequent target of militants seeking to undermine U.S.-backed efforts to stabilize the country.
Police and hospital officials said the gunmen intercepted the Electricity Ministry engineer's car in western Baghdad during the Monday morning rush-hour.
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Ninety minutes later, a bomb planted on the side of a road on the other side of the capital exploded as the motorcade of Shiite politician Ali al-Shura drove by. Baghdad police said al-Shura, a member of the Shabaniya movement that is linked to the Iraqi National Alliance party, was killed and two of his bodyguards wounded.
The Iraqi National Alliance is a Shiite political organization that won 70 seats in last year's parliamentary election and helped Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki secure a second term. Alliance officials refused to comment Monday on al-Shura's position in the party. A Baghdad morgue official confirmed the casualties.
Officials said four other bombs wounded seven more people in the capital, including two bodyguards protecting an Education Ministry adviser.
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All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.
Violence in Iraq has dropped dramatically from just a few years ago when the nation teetered on the brink of civil war. But sporadic bombings and shootings continue on a near-daily basis.