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Explosions kill at least 136 in Baghdad's govt. center
Car bombs exploded in Baghdad this morning next to two key government buildings, killing at least 136 people and wounding more than 600. The explosions occurred as political leaders were preparing to meet to try to resolve a fierce dispute that could delay national elections, ranked as pivotal to Iraq's long-term stability.
The car bombs, at least one of them a suicide bombing, according to police, blew up by the justice ministry and a Baghdad provincial office, sites separated by one broad city block. The attacks, the bloodiest in Iraq this year, hit the nerve center of Baghdad's national and local governments, shattering windows, sending debris flying and tearing down parts of buildings.