Security situation under control, Thursday explosions, preplanned, Iraqi official says

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s Security Forces have discovered 6 booby-trapped cars, ready for explosion in different parts of Baghdad on Thursday, the Spokesman for Baghdad Operations Command, Major-General Qassem Atta, said, stressing that a series of preplanned explosions have targeted workers, students, schools and a hospital, adding that “the security situation is under control now.””Since 07:00 hours early Thursday, the Iraqi capital of Baghdad had witnessed several explosions, killing and wounding dozens of civilians, Atta told the semi-official al-Iraqiya TV Satellite Channel, adding that “the security forces have discovered 6 booby-trapped cars, ready for explosion, 5 of them in west Baghdad‘s Rusafa side, all carrying false number plates.”Atta said the anti-explosives elements imposed control on those cars, some of which blew off without causing casualties,” charging that the said operations were preplanned, aimed at undermining the security situation in Baghdad.”Central Baghdad‘ Allawi district had witnessed a double explosion against a workers gathering and another in north Baghdad‘s Aadamiya district, along with another blast in northwestern Baghdad‘s Shu’ala district, inside a garage, whilst a booby-trapped car blew off close to a school in Abu-Dushir district, killing and wounding dozens of students,” he stressed. He said that “the most serious incident had been a booby-trapped car explosion close to the Christian Nuns Hospital in central Baghdad‘s Karrad district, targeted against a car-parking garage, killing and wounding a number of civilians, whilst the area began to be evacuated.”The Security Forces are spread all over Baghdad and the Security situation is under control now,” Atta concluded. The said explosions took place at a time when Iraq had been witnessing a strong political crisis, in the background of charges against Vice-President and Leader of al-Iraqiya political bloc, with having carried out terrorist acts and a decision for his arrest, along with a decision by Prime Minister, Nouri al-Malikito withdraw trust in his Deputy Prime Minister, Saleh al-Mutlaq, the leader of the same bloc.SKH (ST)362