Rockets and bombs ‘again’ hit Iraq

BAGHDAD - Agence France-Presse

Rockets were fired against Baghdad’s Green Zone as Iraq’s military marked its anniversary with a parade Jan. 6, a day after the country suffered its worst attacks since August and weeks after U.S. troops left. Further violence against Shiite pilgrims killed two people, the latest in a spike in attacks against the majority community amid a political crisis that has stoked sectarian tensions.

At least three roadside bombs exploded in the morning in different parts of the capital, wounding 17 people in addition to the two killed. In Baghdad, insurgents fired three rockets against the heavily-fortified Green Zone as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki presided over a huge military parade to mark the 91st anniversary of the founding of Iraq’s armed forces. The violence came with Iraq mired in a political crisis. The row was sparked by an arrest warrant issued for Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi on charges he ran a death squad.