Twin Blasts Kill 15 A Day Before Iraq's Elections

Security and medical officials say twin bombings have hit a market in the town of Saadiyah, northeast of Baghdad, killing at least 15 people and injuring 20 others.

Saadiyah lies in eastern Iraq, along a stretch of disputed territory that the country's autonomous Kurdish region wants to incorporate despite Baghdad's objections.

The blasts in Saadiyah came a day after a suicide bomber in the nearby town of Khanaqin killed 30 people -- and a day before Iraq holds its first parliamentary elections since 2010.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who hails from the country's Shi'ite Arab majority, is seeking a third term in office. Critics accuse Maliki of monopolizing power and targeting minority groups.

Iraq is experiencing the worst protracted period of bloodshed in years, with nearly 3,000 people killed already this year.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters