At Least 16 Killed In Sundown Bombings In Iraq

Security officials say at least 16 people were killed and dozens wounded in explosions within minutes of each other in two southern Iraqi towns on July 22.

At the end of the day's Ramadan fast, two cars exploded in a parking lot for minibuses in the Sunni-dominated town of Mahmoudiyah, about 30 kilometers south of Baghdad.

Police and health officials said 10 people were killed, including two policemen, and that 36 people were injured.

Ten minutes later, about 20 kilometers away, two roadside bombs struck an open-air market in Madain, another Sunni town southeast of the capital.

Earlier, 23 people were injured by a car bomb in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf.

The blast reportedly occurred about 700 meters from the gold dome of the Imam Ali shrine.

Najaf health department spokesman Salim Naama said four of the injured are in a serious condition.

In the past, Sunni insurgents in Iraq have targeted Shi'ite holy sites, including the Imam Ali shrine, in a bid to reignite sectarian violence in the country.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP