22 killed in bomb attacks on police in Bagdad

In the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, serial suicide and roadside bombings of police have killed a total of 22 people and injured 61 others.

The driver of a vehicle filled with explosives smashed into a police station in central Baghdad on Wednesday and blew up, despite police officers' attempt to stop the attack.

Almost simultaneously, vehicles rammed into 2 police stations in the northeastern and southeastern parts of the Iraqi capital and exploded. A security unit was also hit when a roadside bomb blew up as it passed by, on its way to a stricken police station.

Police say the coordinated suicide attacks were apparently carried out by anti-US insurgents.

All US forces are scheduled to complete their withdrawals from the country by the end of this year.

But the Iraqi government is expected to ask the United States to extend the mission of some of their forces to help prevent insurgent attacks.

Whether the extension will be realized remains unclear because the Iraqi parliament opposes the conditions offered by the United States for extending such a mission.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 22:24 +0900 (JST)