Iraq, attacks in central Baghdad: dozens of deaths.
The Ministry of Justice is also affected

BAGDAD – The explosions started one after the other, coordinated. In the area of ​​ministries in Baghdad, two car bombs and as many suicide bombers caused at least 25 deaths and over fifty wounded. The victims include at least 12 civilians and seven policemen.

According to a first reconstruction, three violent blasts near the Allawi district would have paved the way for an assault by armed men against the Iraqi Ministry of Justice in central Baghdad. The Iraqi agency Nina writes that soldiers carried out a blitz in the department to evacuate the personnel, while the Foreign Ministry blocked the entrances.

According to the spokesman for Iraqi anti-terrorism, Sabah Nouri, the attack took place at around 13:30 local time near the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and a Ministry of Communications office, not far from the so-called Green area.

The two car bombs blew up after the suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the interior ministry offices. A second suicide bomber entered the seat of the Ministry of Justice, while a group of armed militants attacked the building clashing with security forces. “Everyone panicked after the first explosion and a few seconds later we heard a second explosion, “said Asmaa Abbas, an official from the Ministry of Justice who works in an office on the third floor.” I looked through the window – she said – and saw some armed men wearing police uniforms enter the building. We knew they weren’t real cops. “Justice Ministry employees were transferred to the building after a 2009 bombing of the original headquarters, where repair work is currently underway.

(March 14, 2013)