2 bombings in north Baghdad kills 17 people

Girl stands near debris in the aftermath of explosion in Baghdad Attacks, including two bombings in north Baghdad, killed 17 people Thursday, officials said, as Iraq struggles with its worst violence in years. In the deadliest attack, an explosives-rigged motorcycle killed at least 11 people and wounded 35 when it blew up in a motorcycle market in the largely-Shiite Sadr City district.
And a car bomb in Sadr City killed at least one person and wounded five.
The capital is hit by near-daily bombings and shootings, including periodic coordinated car bomb attacks that leave dozens of people dead.
In northern Iraq, a roadside bomb exploded near a Sahwa anti-Al-Qaeda militia patrol in the Sharqat area, killing two fighters and wounding four.
And three soldiers died in clashes with militants in Kirkuk province, also in northern Iraq.
The deaths came after violence killed 13 people Wednesday.
The country has been hit by a year-long surge in bloodshed that has reached levels not seen since 2008, driven by widespread discontent among the Sunni Arab minority and the civil war in neighbouring Syria.
The city of Fallujah -- just a short drive from Baghdad -- and shifting parts of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi, to its west, have been held by anti-government fighters since early January.
Nationwide, violence has killed more than 690 people since the beginning of the month, and over 1,650 so far this year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
Source: AFP