BAGHDAD // A wave of over a dozen car bombings hit central and southern Iraq during morning rush hour on Monday, officials said, killing at least 51 people in the latest coordinated attack by insurgents determined to undermine the government.
The blasts, which wounded scores more, are part of a months-long surge of attacks that is reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 US-led invasion. Suicide attacks, car bombings and other violence have killed more than 3,000 people since April, including more than 500 since the start of July, according to an Associated Press count.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday's attacks, but they bore the hallmarks of Al Qaeda's Iraqi arm, the Islamic State of Iraq, which frequently sets off such coordinated blasts in an effort to break Iraqis' confidence in the Shiite-led government.
Police officers said a total of 12 parked car bombs hit markets and parking lots in predominantly Shiite neighbourhoods of Baghdad within one hour. They say the deadliest were in the eastern Shiite neighbourhood of Sadr City, where two separate explosions killed nine civilians and wounded 33 others.
Ambulances rushed to the scene where rescuers and police were removing the charred and twisted remains of the car bombs from the bloodstained pavement. The force of the two explosions lightly damaged nearby houses and shops.
Taxi driver Ali Khalil was passing nearby when the first bomb exploded.
"I heard a thunderous explosion that shook my car and broke the rear window," the 36-year old said. "I immediately pulled over and didn't know what to do while seeing people running or lying on the ground," he added.
He brought two of the wounded to a nearby hospital before heading back to his home to stay indoors the rest the day. Like many Iraqis, he blamed political infighting and incapable security forces for the deteriorated security situation.
Several hours after the explosions, acting UN envoy to Iraq Gyorgy Busztin expressed concern over "the heightened level of violence which carries the danger that the country falls back into sectarian strife."
"Iraq is bleeding from random violence, which sadly reached record heights during the Holy month of Ramadan," added Mr Busztin. He called for immediate and decisive action to stop the "senseless bloodshed."
Ten other bombs around Baghdad, mostly Shiite-dominated suburbs as well as the town of Mahmoudiya 30 kilometres to the south, killed 31 people.
The wave of bombings also extended to Iraq's majority-Shiite south.
Back-to-back explosions by two parked car bombs in an outdoor market and near a gathering of construction workers killed seven civilians and wounded 35 others in the city of Kut, 160 kilometres south-east of Baghdad.
And in the oil-rich city of Basra in southern Iraq, four other people were killed and five wounded when a parked car bomb ripped through a market. Health officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to release information.
The violence surged after an April crackdown by security forces on a Sunni protest camp in the northern town of Hawija that killed 44 civilians and a member of the security forces, according to UN estimates. The bloodshed is linked to rising sectarian divisions between Iraq's Sunni and Shiite populations as well as friction between Arabs and Kurds, dampening hopes for a return to normality nearly two years after US forces withdrew from the country.
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PRISCILLA
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
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WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Start times
5.55am: Wheelchair Marathon Elites
6am: Marathon Elites
7am: Marathon Masses
9am: 10Km Road Race
11am: 4Km Fun Run
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg
Atletico Madrid v Juventus, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
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FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea