13 Killed in Series of Blasts Across Iraq

BAGHDAD — Twelve explosions, including one that appeared to target a United States military convoy, shook Baghdad over the span of two hours on Sunday morning, killing at least 13 and wounding at least 62, according to an Iraqi security official.

The most deadly attack occurred in north Baghdad when a car bomb was detonated around 9 a.m. near the United States convoy, according to the security official. Shortly after the explosion, Iraqi police arrived at the scene and a suicide bomber detonated explosives, killing seven and injuring ten.

A spokesman for the United States military in Iraq said he had not received any reports that a convoy had been attacked.

The violence appeared to be part of a pattern in Baghdad. Last Sunday, insurgents throughout the city fired rockets and mortars at the heavily fortified Green Zone, detonated several explosives and assassinated government officials, killing six and wounding dozens. Sunday marks the beginning of the Iraqi work week.

The attacks on Sunday occurred in Sunni and Shiite parts of the city, including two in Sadr city, the strong hold of the radical cleric Moktada al-Sadr. Although attacks have significantly decreased in Iraq over the past few years, a consistent level of violence that the authorities don’t seem to be able to prevent remains, with deadly attacks occurring on a daily basis.

The first attack occurred around 7 a.m. when four road side bombs and a car bomb were detonated near the federal police headquarters in west Baghdad, killing two and wounding 15.

A bomb was then detonated near the convoy of a high ranking ministry of interior official in east Baghdad, killing one and wounding five. The official was not killed in the attack.

A roadside bomb was then detonated near a police patrol in east Baghdad, wounding six, including a policeman.

Road side bombs were then detonated near a hospital and market in Sadr city, killing two and wounding 14.

Two road side bombs were then detonated in the center of Baghdad, killing one and wounding 12. Among the wounded were six police officers.

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Blasts Kill 3 NATO Troops in Afghanistan, Joint Forces Kill 3 Top Insurgents

 VOA News ?April 24, 2011

An Army carry team carries the transfer case containing the remains of Army Sgt. John Castro, of Andrews, Texas, at Dover Air Force Base, DE Saturday, April 23, 2011

NATO says roadside bombs in southern Afghanistan have killed three of its personnel, while coalition and Afghan forces in the east have dealt a blow to the Haqqani insurgent group by killing three of its leaders.

The NATO alliance says the roadside bombings killed one of its service members Sunday and two others on Saturday. Another NATO service member died Saturday when a coalition helicopter crashed in the eastern province of Kapisa. The cause is under investigation. The nationalities of the four NATO personnel have not been disclosed.

NATO also confirmed Sunday that coalition and Afghan forces killed the three Haqqani network leaders in a joint operation Friday in eastern Afghanistan's Khost province. The group has close ties to al-Qaida and operates primarily in the Afghan provinces of Khost, Paktika and Paktiya.

The alliance named one of those killed as Salih Khan, whom it said trained bomb makers, organized car bombings and directed logistics and communications for Haqqani insurgents in the Nadir Shah Kot district of Khost. It said Khan led 20 fighters in two attacks on coalition bases in the past week.

NATO said coalition and Afghan troops have captured or killed at least 15 Haqqani leaders and 130 other Haqqani insurgents so far this year.

The coalition also said a combined force captured a Taliban insurgent leader and several of his associates in the northern province of Kunduz on Saturday. It said the senior militant provided weapons to insurgents in Kunduz and was responsible for attacks on multiple targets, including election sites last September.

In other violence, the Afghan government said a gunman assassinated a former top local government official in the southern province of Helmand late Saturday. It said Abdul Zahir was killed in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. He had served as the civilian chief of Helmand's Marjah district.

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