Triple bombings kill 47 in Baghdad

BAGHDAD - Two car bombings and one roadside bombing rattled Iraqi capital of Baghdad late on Thursday evening, killing at least 47 and wounding 105 others, a police source said.

A car bomb and a roadside bomb were detonated in quick succession near a popular cafe in Zaffarani area in southeastern Baghdad, killing 31 people and wounding 56 others, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Another car bomb ripped through near a popular restaurant in Sadr city in eastern Baghdad, killing 16 people and wounding 49 more, the same source said.

Both hit areas were mostly populated with Shiite Muslims, the source added, indicating the targets were Shiites and the perpetrator could be Sunni insurgents who often launch attacks on Shiite neighborhoods.

The attacks came in the aftermath of a bloody day in which a series of coordinated bombings struck a dozen cities across Iraq and claimed scores of lives.

This new round of violence came ahead of the Eid, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of the holy month Ramadan amid tightened security measures in Iraq. The carnage highlighted the tenuous security situation in post-war Iraq. No one has so far claimed credit for the fresh attacks, though the coordinated bombings clearly bear the hallmark of al-Qaida group.