Baghdad Bombings Kill 7; Fallouja Politician Is Slain

Two bombs exploded in quick succession Tuesday, killing at least seven Iraqis in a downtown market in the capital, and gunmen in Fallouja assassinated the head of the City Council.

In western Baghdad, a representative of radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr also was shot to death Tuesday.

The violence appears to be tied to the Shiite holiday of Ashura, the commemoration of the 7th century martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad. The annual event culminates Thursday.

Suicide bombers here killed at least 180 civilians during Ashura festivities in 2004 and, despite tight security, more than 50 last year. Interior Ministry officials have said they will tighten security in the provinces surrounding Karbala, where Hussein is buried and the Ashura ceremonies conclude.

The Iraq insurgency is led by minority Sunni Muslim Arabs, who were favored under Saddam Hussein’s regime. They are fighting a government now controlled by the majority Shiites.

The two bombs in central Baghdad exploded within 10 minutes of each other near stalls selling CDs and showing films of Ashura festivities, witnesses said.

The second blast appeared to be timed for when police arrived.

Blood and broken glass covered the streets and sidewalks near the blasts, which injured nearly 30.

Violence also erupted in western Iraq, where four U.S. Marines were killed in two roadside bomb attacks this week.

In Fallouja on Tuesday, angry mourners gathered to bury Sheik Kamal Nazal, who headed the City Council and was slain by gunmen earlier in the day. In telephone interviews, some Falloujans blamed American-backed forces for the killing while others blamed Salafi religious extremists.

Nazal drew the ire of some Sunnis for his overtures to the new Iraqi government and U.S. ambassador.

On Monday, gunmen attacked a Shiite family preparing for Ashura festivities in Baqubah, injuring six, then launched an attack on visitors to the shrine of Imam Musa al Kadhim, wounding one.

The U.S. military and Iraqi commandos raided a village in Salman Pak, southeast of Baghdad, on Monday night, detaining 26 suspects accused of “operating a terrorist training camp and planning to launch attacks against Ashura pilgrims,” a press release said.

The fatal attacks on the U.S. troops occurred in the volatile province of Al Anbar, the scene of near-constant fighting between U.S. forces and insurgents.

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Times staff writer Shamil Aziz contributed to this report.