Bombings across Iraq kill at least 38 people

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Bombings across Iraq killed 38 people and wounded more than 100 on Tuesday in a spate of violence that officials had dreaded in the days before Baghdad hosts the Arab world's top leaders.

The deadliest strike hit the holy Shiite city of Karbala, where officials said two car bombs exploded in a crowded shopping and restaurant area. Thirteen people were killed and another 50 were wounded in that attack, said local provincial council member Hussein Shadhan al-Aboudi.

Karbala, 80 kilometers south of Baghdad, is a destination for thousands of Shiite pilgrims from around the world who visit the golden shrines of two revered imams each day.

Al-Aboudi immediately blamed the attacks on al-Qaida, the terror network that officials believe is behind the recent violence with the aim to have the Arab League's summit in Baghdad next week canceled for the second year in a row. Read More