Iraq’s Al-Qaida claims Baghdad bombings

Al-Qaida’s umbrella group in Iraq today claimed responsibility for the bombings of government ministries in Baghdad last week that killed more than 100 people and left hundreds wounded.

Al-Qaida’s umbrella group in Iraq on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the bombings of government ministries in Baghdad last week that killed more than 100 people and left hundreds wounded.

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The group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, said in a statement posted on the Internet that “with God’s grace,” their “sons launched a new blessed attack at the heart of wounded Baghdad.”

The attack, it said, meant to “wreck the bastions of infidelity” of what it describes as the pro-Iranian government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The statement listed targets Al-Qaida claimed to have hit, including the finance, foreign and defence ministries in central Baghdad. The statement, posted on a Web site commonly used by terror groups, could not be independently verified.

The wave of explosions that ripped through Baghdad last Wednesday with nearly simultaneous truck bombs hitting Iraq’s foreign and finance ministries, killed at least 101 people and left more than 400 wounded. It was the deadliest day of coordinated bombings since Feb 1, 2008, when two suicide bombers killed 109 people at pet markets in Baghdad.

The US military said the attacks bore the hallmarks of Al-Qaida, which is known for its high-profile vehicle bombs and simultaneous suicide attacks.

The Al-Qaida front’s statement said it sought to kill Iraqi government officials.