Five bombings left at least 40 people dead and dozens wounded, Iraqi authorities said Thursday.
Bombs struck a busy outdoor market and a police patrol in a Shiite area of Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 40, police said. The first blast targeted a police patrol in the New Baghdad area in eastern Baghdad, killing two policemen and four civilians and wounding 11 people, police Lt. Ali Abbas said.
According to the AP, that was followed about an hour later by a blast at a fruit market in the same area. Thirteen people were killed and 39 wounded when the bomb detonated at the entrance of the market, severely damaging several shops, police Col. Ahmed Abod said.
In the latest attack, in the Amin market area in New Baghdad, two car bombs killed 15 people and injured dozens, police said.
Also Thursday, Iraq's parliament approved new ministers of defense, interior and national security, ending a three-week stalemate among Iraq's religious and ethnic groups over the crucial posts. The three men were sworn.
The new ministers are Iraqi Army Gen. Abdul-Qadre Mohammed Jassim, a Sunni, for defense and Shiites Jawad al-Bolani for interior and Sherwan al-Waili for national security.
