Some 57 people were killed and more than 150 wounded on Thursday
night in twin suicide bombings attacks in a busy market in Hilla
City, 120 km south of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source told
Xinhua.
According to the source, "the first suicide bomber wearing
explosive-belt blew himself up in front of a CD selling shop in the
entrance of the busy market."
He was followed by another suicide bomber that detonated among
the fleeing cars and people, intending to cause more
casualties.
The two explosions, in all, have killed 57 and wounded 150 so
far, the source said on condition of anonymity.
Earlier records had stated 12 killed and more than 25
wounded.
Violence rages in Iraq as sectarian killings, suicide attacks,
bombings, abductions cause dozens of casualties daily.
Also on Thursday, an Iraqi professor was killed when gunmen
stormed into a college in Baquba City, 60 km northeast of Baghdad,
a local police source said.
"Professor Walhan al-Rubaie, the dean of the sporting education
college in Diyala University was gunned down around midday by
unknown gunmen in the campus of the college in Baquba City," The
source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Education in Iraqi universities has all but crumbled due to
sectarian strife, security and political vacuum after three and a
half years of US-led occupation.
(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2007)
