16 die in Iraqi cafe bombings targeting soccer fans
BAGHDAD Iraqi officials say a series of bombings targeting soccer fans has struck cafes in and around Baghdad, killing 16 and wounding dozens.
The attacks struck in quick succession late Thursday night while the cafes were filled with patrons watching a soccer match.
Police say five people were killed in Baghdad's largely Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah, and another three were killed in Shiite-dominated Umm al-Maalif, in the southwestern suburbs of the capital.
Another blast struck the Shiite town of Jbala, about 50 kilometers south of Baghdad, killing 8.
Hospital officials confirmed the casualty toll. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information to journalists.