Two parked car bombs and a bomb hidden in a plastic bag struck market districts in central Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 55 people and wounding more than 100, police said. The violence started about 11:50 a.m. when the parcel bomb exploded in a crowded area near a popular take-away falafel restaurant in the Bab al-Sharqi area, police said. At least nine people were killed and 19 wounded in that blast, they were quoted as saying by foreign agencies reports. About 30 minutes later, two cars packed with explosives blew up in quick succession near the Shorja market district, collapsing a building and setting stores on fire. The two blasts, which occurred within 100 meters (yards) of each other, killed at least 46 people and wounded 105, but police said the toll was likely to rise.
