Iraq bombing kills 52
Iraq, Military, 3/18/2008

An Iraqi health official says the death toll in Monday's bombing in Karbala has risen to 52.

The bomb exploded near the shrine of Imam Hussein (AS), a pilgrimage center for Shiite Muslims.

Early reports identified a female suicide bomber as the perpetrator, but the Karbala police chief said it had been a bomb planted in a crowded area.

About 75 people were injured in the blast. Seven Iranians are believed to be among the dead, health officials say. Pools of blood could be seen at the site of the explosion.

The city has seen deadly bomb attacks in the past, with about 100 people killed in two blasts last April.

Officials suspect al-Qaeda insurgents were behind the bombing, but no group has claimed responsibility.

In the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a mortar attack by unidentified insurgents killed five people and wounded seven. Earlier in the day, bombs in and around the city killed at least two Iraqi civilians and two US soldiers.

The attacks came during a visit to Iraq by the US Vice-President, Dick Cheney.

Previous Stories:
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