BAGHDAD: A car bomb exploded outside a funeral tent Thursday in Baghdad, killing at least 48 people – the latest in a wave of attacks that has triggered fury over the government's inability to stop the bloodshed. As ambulances raced to the scene and Iraqi helicopters buzzed overhead, yo2ung men enraged over the security lapse pelted Iraqi forces with sticks and stones, prompting skirmishes. Five others were killed Thursday in separate bombings targeting Iraqi troops and an electricity official in Baghdad. The latest was a roadside bomb that killed a policeman at about 7 P.M. in Dora, officials said. The violence over the past week and a half has posed a major challenge for Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and his fragile coalition government that was seated last month. Some lawmakers and city officials said insurgents were likely trying to undermine the government ahead of an Arab League summit to be held in March in Baghdad. The Iraqi leadership had campaigned to host the two-day meeting to tout security improvements and mend frayed ties with its Arab neighbors. “The terrorists are carrying out these bombings now because they are angry over the successful formation of a new government and they want to try to foil the Arab Summit,” said Kamil Nassir Al-Zaidi, the head of the Baghdad provincial council. “But the summit will be held as scheduled despite all these bombings.” Anger over Thursday's attack in Shula stemmed from the fact that the booby-trapped car had been parked just several meters from one end of the long, hangar-like tent. At least 48 people were killed and 121 wounded, according to police and hospital officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information. Hours later, troops fired in the air to disperse a crowd gathered for a demonstration to demand better protection, and some protesters set tires on fire.
