Market bomb, shooting kill 7 in Iraq

[June 29, 2013]  BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi officials say a bomb has gone off in an outdoor market in west Baghdad, one of two attacks in Sunni-majority parts of the country that have left seven dead.

Police officials say that the blast Saturday morning in the capital's western suburb of Abu Ghraib killed four people and wounded 12 others.

Also, police said that attackers using guns fitted with silencers killed three off-duty policemen in a drive-by shooting near Fallujah, 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baghdad.

Health officials confirmed the casualties. All spoke anonymously because they were not allowed to brief reporters.

The new violence came a day after a series of deadly attacks that left 19 dead. Violence has been on the rise in Iraq recently amid political and sectarian tension.

[Associated Press; By SAMEER N. YACOUB]

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.