At least one suicide bomber exploded himself in the busy early morning hours on Sunday near the police academy killing 28 people and injuring 57, some of them seriously, according to IraqÂ’s Interior Minister.
The area near the police academy has been a frequent target for suicide bombers since shortly after the American invasion in 2003. Just over three months ago, on Dec. 1, a bomber wearing a vest blew himself up in almost the same location killing 15 people.SundayÂ’s bombing came after a period of relative calm in the capital and a peaceful election at the end of January. However, many military officials, Iraqi and American, have predicted that the post-election period would see an increase in violence.
Early reports suggested there were two bombers: one on a motorcycle and the other wearing a suicide vest but those details were still sketchy and reporters were not able to get close to the scene of the attack. A police lieutenant near the scene of the bombing said there had been a protest near the police academy and that the bomber had mingled with the crowd before the explosion. |