Death Toll In Iraq Bombing Rises To 59

Death Toll In Iraq Bombing Rises To 59
On Friday, few hours before election results were released, two bombs struck a crowded market in Iraq's mainly Sunni northern Diyala province killing 59 and wounding 73, in one of the country's deadliest attacks in months. [ID:nLDE62Q080] (Additional reporting by Aseel Kami and Muhanad Mohammed; Writing by Rania El Gamal; editing by Andrew Dobbie)

A resident looks at a damaged building after bomb attacks in Khalis, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad March 27, 2010. REUTERS/Helmiy al-AzawiBAGHDAD, March 28 (Reuters) - The death toll from two bombs that struck a crowded market in Iraq's mainly Sunni Diyala province rose to 59, police said on Saturday, as politicians started coalition talks to form a new government.

The attack on Friday night, one of Iraq's deadliest in months, also wounded 73 people, Major Ghalib Attiya, a police spokesman in Diyala, said.

"From the style of the attack and its magnitude, I can say it has al Qaeda's fingerprint," he said, adding that an investigation was under way to determine if the militant group was responsible.

The blasts occurred a few hours before officials released full preliminary results from the March 7 parliamentary poll.

Authorities said a roadside bomb was placed near a coffee shop in the centre of the town of Khalis, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, followed soon after by a car bomb that shattered nearby buildings and shops.

"There are still bodies under the rubble, I want to know what is the fault of these innocent people to be killed like that?"

Yunnis Mohammed, a shop owner, said at the blast scene.

Rescue workers were still searching for survivors on Saturday.

While overall violence has dropped sharply in the past couple of years, the blast on Friday, a night out for many families, underscored the fragile security situation in Iraq as it struggles to end years of war and sectarian conflict.

The death toll exceeded that of a suicide bombing that killed 41 people on the outskirts of Baghdad in February and three suicide attacks on Baghdad hotels in January that killed 36.

Iraq's political blocs have begun what could be weeks of jostling for a place in the new government. The results of this month's election saw secularist challenger Iyad Allawi's alliance winning the most seats in the coming parliament, just ahead of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's coalition.

© REUTERS 2010