A car bomb exploded today at the entrance to a fruit and vegetable market in south Baghdad, killing 11 people and wounding about 30, police said.
The explosion occurred about 7am at the Rasheed market in the city’s southern Dora area, which had been one of the most dangerous during the Sunni-Shia fighting of two years ago. It follows a sharp rise in attacks in Iraq last month.
Despite the rise in attacks, the Iraqi government has ruled out asking US troops to remain in Iraqi cities after the June 30th deadline for their withdrawal.
The US-Iraq security agreement that took effect this year calls for US combat troops to leave urban areas by the end of June, with all US forces out of the country by the end of 2011.
The departure of heavily armed American soldiers from bases inside the cities is important psychologically to many Iraqis, who are eager to regain control of their country after six years of war and US military occupation.
AP