A wave of morning bombings killed 23 Iraqis across several cities on Thursday, according to AP. In all, officials said extremists launched 10 attacks in Baghdad and in northern Iraq, in Kirkuk, Samarra, Dibis and Taji. Additionally, mortars were fired into the northern cities of Beiji and Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, but no injuries were reported there. At least 79 people were wounded in the rapid-fire explosions that unfolded over an hour and 15 minutes. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but Baghdad military command spokesman Col. Dhia al-Wakeel said they resembled those carried out by al-Qaida. "They want to send a message that they can target the stability that has been achieved recently," al-Wakeel said. The single deadliest bombing came in Dibis, located near the northern city of Kirkuk, 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of Baghdad. Kirkuk Police Brig. Gen. Sarhad Qadir said a parked car exploded in the Arab village, killing six passers-by and wounding four. In Baghdad, police said roadside bombs and car explosions targeted security patrols and the nation's top health official, Health Minister Majeed Hamad Amin, as his convoy was driving him to work. But bystanders took the brunt of the attacks that killed eight across the Iraqi capital. Police and hospital officials confirmed the Baghdad casualties but spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
