Car Bomb in Baghdad Kills 41

By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 20, 2009 5:53 PM CDT
Car Bomb in Baghdad Kills 41
The scene of a previous car bombing in Baghdad, on May 12.   (AP Photo/Emad Matti)

A car bomb exploded today near several restaurants in a Shiite neighborhood of northwest Baghdad, killing 41 people and injuring more than 70. No group claimed responsibility, but the style and location of the attack suggested it was carried out by Sunni extremists, such as Al-Qaeda in Iraq, in an apparent bid to rekindle sectarian warfare as the US draws down forces in the capital.

The blast appeared timed for maximum civilian casualties, going off about 7pm when many Baghdad residents take advantage of cooler evening temperatures for shopping and dining in outdoor kebab restaurants. It was the first major car-bombing in the capital since May 6, when 15 people were killed at a produce market, and the deadliest since twin blasts killed 51 people in Sadr City on April 29. (More Iraq stories.)

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