Wave of attacks kills scores in Iraq

A wave of bombings and shootings across Iraq kills scores of people in seemingly coordinated attacks during a major religious festival.

Here in central Baghdad, at least 18 Shi'ite pilgrims were killed and dozens more wounded in bomb attacks.

At least four bombs in total struck the capital on Wednesday.

In the southern city of Hilla, two car bombs, including one detonated by a suicide bomber, went off outside restaurants frequented by police, killing at least 22 people and wounding 38.

And in the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk, early morning attacks killed at least one person and wounded 14 others, according to police and hospital sources.

They said the attacks targeted the headquarters of the Kurdish Democratic Party.

Two more car bombs killed four people in the mainly Shi'ite city of Balad, and a car bomb in Kerbala killed three and wounded 17.

The death toll from Tuesday's attacks had already reached at least 53 by late morning.

While violence has eased in Iraq since the height of the war, attacks like these show that bombings, and particularly sectarian killings, are still a very real risk.

These latest attacks come as Shi'ites gathered to mark the death of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim, a great-grandson of Prophet Mohammad.

Travis Brecher, Reuters