16 killed, 50 injured in Basra explosions, curfew imposed

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: At least 16 people were killed and 50 more were wounded in the three explosions that rattled Basra on Monday, chairman of the local council’s security committee said. “The three blasts that took place in al-Hamza market and Khamsa Meel region in Basra, killed 16 persons and injured 50,” Ali Ghanem told IraqiNews.com news agency. “A curfew was imposed in the city as of 8:00pm until further notice,” he added. Three explosions rocked Basra on Monday; the first in al-Hamza marketplace by a bike bomb, while the other two explosions occurred in Khamsa Meel region by an explosive device and a car bomb near a fuel station. Basra blasts coincide with a series of explosions and armed operations in several provinces in Iraq, where 88 persons were killed and 340 were injured. Basra is 590 km south of Baghdad. SH (P) 4