Baghdad bombings leave 14 dead, police say

PanARMENIAN.Net - Five car bombs in Baghdad killed at least 14 people on Thursday, August 15 and wounded more than 80, Iraqi police sources said, with one attack close to the capital's "Green Zone" diplomatic complex, according to Reuters.

One bomb exploded just 200-300 meters (yards) outside Baghdad's international zone, close to Iraq's Foreign Ministry, killing four and wounding 12 people, the sources said.

The central zone is a highly-fortified area housing Western embassies including the U.S. mission and the nearby Iraqi ministry has been a frequent target of attacks.

Iraq is experiencing some of its worst violence since U.S. troops left 18 months ago, with Sunni Islamist militants including al Qaeda waging an insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government.

Multiple car bombs explode each week killing scores of people and the government has launched a security crackdown to try to round up suspected militants.

On Thursday, bombers targeted districts in central, eastern, northern and southern Baghdad, including Shi'ite areas, police said. One attack, in al-Shurta al-Rabaa district, was a bomb on the trailer of a tractor carrying gas cylinders that killed four and wounded 18.