- The Washington Times - Friday, April 12, 2013

Friday prayers near Baghdad wrapped with twin bombings at a Sunni mosque that left at least seven dead and 30 wounded.

Police in the province of Diyala said the bombs were detonated just as worshippers were exiting prayers from Omar Bin Abdul-Aziz mosque in Kanaan, about 50 miles outside Baghdad, The Associated Press reported.

Such attacks are fairly common, as sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims often escalates during Friday prayer times.

Still, Iraqi violence is believed to have fallen considerably in recent years. The height of violence was in the 2006-07 timeframe, during which then-President George W. Bush increased the number of American troops to the region — dubbed the surge in the Iraq War.

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide