Bombs kill 3 near Shiite shrine in central Baghdad

[September 12, 2009]  BAGHDAD (AP) -- Two bombs exploded moments apart near the tomb of a revered Shiite religious figure in central Baghdad on Saturday, killing three people and wounding 22, police and hospital officials said.

The first bomb went off next to the tomb of the ninth-century sheik, Othman al-Omari, where a number of people were praying. A few minutes later, a car bomb exploded in a nearby parking lot as crowds were gathering. The shrine was damaged.

The attack took place in the Bab al-Muadham area of the capital, home to the Health Ministry, other government offices and a number of hospitals.

Police and hospital officials who gave details of the attack and the casualty toll spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not permitted to speak to journalists.

In northwestern Baghdad, a bomb attached to a civilian car exploded Saturday, killing the driver and wounding two passengers, police said. The motive for the attack was not known.

While violence has eased in many parts of Iraq, bombings and other attacks remain common in Baghdad, where, for instance, devastating truck bombs outside the foreign and finance ministries killed around 100 people on Aug. 19.

The persistent violence has frustrated Iraq's U.S.-trained security forces, which took over from American forces that pulled out of cities and towns before a June 30 deadline.

Violence also still plagues northern Iraq, where Sunni Arab insurgents from al-Qaida in Iraq and other groups built new strongholds after being pushed out of western Anbar province and other parts of the country.

In the northern city of Mosul, a roadside bomb went off near an Iraqi army patrol Saturday, prompting soldiers to open fire to scare off any attackers. A stray bullet from the shooting killed a traffic policeman, police said.

[Associated Press; By HAMID AHMED]

Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin contributed to this report.

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