Car bombs rocked Najaf and Karbala (moved from ATSNN), page 1

On sunday 19th december car bombs were set of in two of the holiest shiite cities in Iraq. It is estimated that more than 60 people have been killed and a further 120 have been wounded. This attack has followed the ambush killing 3 Iraqi employees of the organisation that's running the elections.

news.yahoo.com
Al-Jazaari believed he and al-Zurufi were the targets of the attack, in which he said three explosives went off at about 2:45 p.m. "As I and the governor were waiting for the funeral processions three explosions occurred," al-Jazaari said. "We were targeted." It was not immediately clear what the other explosions were from.

Residents were pulling bodies of the dead from damaged shops at the square, which is about 400 yards from the Imam Ali Shrine, the holiest Shiite site in Iraq.

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The first bomb was a suicide bomber that blew up parked buses. The bomb had set fire and destroyed 5 cars and 10 buses in a crowded bus station. Almost 50 people died in the first attack and over 90 were taken to a nearby hospital. The 2nd almost an hour later was a car bomb that was set off in the central square in Najaf. There was also a funeral procession and many people watching as the car bomb exploded. A further 13 people died, and another 30 were taken to a hospital.
It seems as though there will be more inevitable attacks in the lead up to january 30th, and there could be even more fatalities. If more attacks are to follow in the upcoming weeks of the election then it will make voting impossible. Only last wednesday there was a bomb set of killing 8 people and wounding 40 in Karbala.
These attacks are a reminder that Iraq is far from being safe and civilised, and is far from being able to hold elections. If the elections are to go ahead then there are going to be many more attacks from apposing groups who prefered the country under the influence of Saddam.

[edit on 19-12-2004 by shaunybaby]