Violence kills 20 in Iraq

In Khan Bani Saad, a city in the eastern Diyala Province, two roadside bombs exploded, killing 10 and wounding two, officials with the Iraqi Interior Ministry said. The first blast occurred outside a house. The second blast hit as residents gathered to help people wounded in the initial attack.

Separately, an Iraqi police officer was killed and his driver critically wounded Monday when a sticky bomb attached to his car exploded in a northeast Baghdad neighborhood, the ministry officials said.

In Falluja, the explosions of a roadside bomb and two car bombs killed six and wounded 23, police said. First a bomb in a trash container exploded. It caused no casualties but attracted security forces and a bomb-disposal team, police said. Then a parked car exploded, killing and wounding several, police said. A third bomb exploded later, killing and injuring more people, police said.

At least three Iraqi security forces were among the dead in central Falluja. Local authorities imposed a full curfew on pedestrians and vehicles in the Falluja's al-Andulus neighborhood, where the explosions occurred.

Meanwhile, in southeastern Baghdad, a roadside bomb explosion in a commercial area killed three civilians and wounded 11 others, officials at the Iraqi Interior Ministry said.

One person was seriously hurt in another explosion in central Baghdad.

Government figures show the death toll in Iraqi violence has been rising. In March, 247 Iraqis were killed, up from 197 people in February. Another 370 people were wounded in March.

Overall, violence in Iraq has dropped dramatically since the peak of the sectarian violence between 2005 and 2007, but mortar attacks, bombs and assassinations are still commonplace; Kazinform cites CNN.

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