AFP
July 26, 2010

KARBALA, Iraq — Twin car bombs killed 21 people in the Shiite holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on Monday, while four people died in a suicide attack on a Saudi-funded television channel in Baghdad.

The suicide blasts in Karbala, where religious commemoration ceremonies are due to begin on Wednesday, occurred at around 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) and also wounded at least 47 people, a provincial health official said.

Eyewitnesses said one vehicle exploded at a security checkpoint on the southern outskirts of the city, the site of revered shrines to Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas, and the second blew up a short time later just metres (yards) away.

"Most of the killed and wounded are policemen and civilians," said Salim Kadhim, spokesman for Karbala's health directorate, adding that 21 people had died and 47 were wounded.

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