(Vatican Radio) A deadly upsurge of violence in Iraq claimed more victims Monday when
15 car bombs killed more than 50 people and injured many more. A wave of 13 car bombs
has struck mainly Shia areas in Baghdad, killing at least 33 people and injuring more
than 150. A car bomb also targeted a market in the centre of Basra killing at least
three people. The deadliest of the attacks occurred near a taxi terminal in the city
of Kut, where at least five people were killed and 38 injured when two car bombs blew
up. Another attack took place in the town of Tuz Khurmatu - south of Kirkuk.
The town is in an area that is a source of dispute between the Iraqi government and
the Kurdish minority. The suicide bomber blew up his car close to a three-vehicle
police convoy. The protesters were ethnic Turkmen demanding better security for the
area. A relentless campaign of bombings and shootings has killed nearly 4,000 people
in Iraq since the start of the year, with the violence raising fears of a return to
full-blown conflict. Listen to Nathan Morley’s full report: