Five suicide attacks, targeting the police centers al-Basra massacres; some 68 killed including 16 children

Some 68 Iraqis were killed including 16 children and more than 200 persons were injured in a series of suicide attacks by five booby trapped cars that targeted police centers in Basra, in a massacre condemned by the Governing Council, the White house and Britain which renewed its confirmation that the explosions will not push it to send more forces to Iraq.

The attacks targeted at the rush hours of early morning for school students while heading to their schools and a gathering to the police centers in front of their centers to get orders for assigned missions. Four booby trapped cars went off before three centers in al-Basra and a police academy in neighboring al-Zubeir at 7 a.m. ( morning ). Just one hour later a fifth car went off in front of the academy itself.

The governor of al-Basra, Wael Abdul Latif, said that the spontaneous attacks were carried out by booby trapped car, included missiles and TNT, led by suiciders, adding that two other booby trapped cars were found and a driver was arrested before they could blow them off. Abdul Latif expressed his conviction that the attacks were carried out by al-Qaida organization lead by Osama Bin Laden.

Among the bloodiest of these attacks which targeted al-Sudeya police center was the attack that coincided with the passing by of two buses, one was carrying children to the kindergarten, while the other was carrying girls to school. The bodies of the burnt children were taken to the main hospital of Basra including 10 boys and 6 girls.

Abdul Latif, who is also member in the governing council said that more than 16 children and nine police men were among the total 68 victims. He added that 200 persons were injured including 36 police men, noting that 168 wounded are in critical health condition.

The British ministry of defense said that four British soldiers were injured in al-Zubeir explosion including two in critical health condition, adding that it seems all the explosions were carried out by suicide bombers.

The Iraqi minister of the interior Samir Shaker Mahmoud al-Sumeida' said that the Basra attacks are similar to that carried out in Karbala and Ibril several months ago, and the sides which executed them might be the same, in remarks to the presumed member in al- Qaida organization Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi and Ansar al-Islam organization.

The British soldiers who arrived in al-Sudeya center for help were met with anger from the Iraqis who blamed them over their failure in keeping peace in Basra.

In a statement, the governing council condemned the explosions which he had described as "an ugly terrorist crime." He said that "the terrorists once again try to target the unarmed Iraqis and once again kill children, women and civilians to achieve evil objectives."