Deadly twin blasts hit Iraqi city

15 August 2011 Last updated at 03:20 ET

At least 34 people have been killed in a twin bombing in the south-eastern Iraqi city of Kut, Iraqi officials say.

The two near-simultaneous bomb attacks wounded at least 64 people, reports say. The explosions occurred at 08:00 (05:00 GMT) in a crowded area in the centre of the city, officials said.

The blasts were caused by a roadside bomb and a car bomb, reports said.

There has been a recent flurry of violence across Iraq, although it is much reduced since a peak in 2006-2007.

The roadside bomb exploded in a public square in the city, 150km (95 miles) south-east of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, police are quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

Then a car bomb detonated when security forces arrived on the scene, they said.

“Hospitals are still receiving casualties, but the situation is under control,” Khamis al-Saad, Iraq’s deputy health minister, told Reuters.

A total of 259 Iraqis were killed in attacks in July, reports say.

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