Iraq violence as parliament stalls
Iraq violence as parliament stalls
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Sunday, 16, Apr 2006 06:31
Iraq has been hit with a number of deadly attacks today as political leaders continue to grapple with the formation of a new government.
At least ten people were killed in a car bomb attack on a market in the town of Mahmudiya, 20 miles south of Baghdad, according to local police.
Police also estimated that around 25 had been wounded in the attack.
The car bomb came after seven labourers have been shot dead in Mosul and the US army announced the death of four marines in combat in the Anbar province on Saturday.
A session of parliament due tomorrow has been called off with no sign of a political breakthrough after months of deadlock.
It was set to be just the second time that the Iraqi parliament has met since elections in December.
Parliament's acting speaker, Adnan Pachachi, said he was postponing it for several days to give political leaders more time to resolve their differences.
Opposition Kurdish and Sunni parties are refusing to back the Shia nomination for prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari.
They argue that he has divided political parties and failed to end the escalating violence in Iraq.
But Mr Jaafari has repeatedly refused to stand aside and the alliance of Shia parties is yet to agree another candidate.