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Iraq police chief's children held Iraq police chief's children held
(about 4 hours later)
Gunmen in Iraq have attacked the house of a senior police officer, killing his wife and 13 other people and taking away three of his children.Gunmen in Iraq have attacked the house of a senior police officer, killing his wife and 13 other people and taking away three of his children.
The attack took place late on Thursday on the house of Col Ali al-Jurani, the head of emergency police in the town of Kanaan, in Diyala province.The attack took place late on Thursday on the house of Col Ali al-Jurani, the head of emergency police in the town of Kanaan, in Diyala province.
Diyala has been the scene of some of the worst violence in Iraq.Diyala has been the scene of some of the worst violence in Iraq.
In southern Iraq, at least 16 people, including women and children, died in two car bomb blasts on Friday. Meanwhile two double bombings - one in the south of Iraq and one in the north - killed at least 34 people in total.
At least another 32 were injured in the attacks, which targeted a busy market and a bus station in the town of Qurna, 60km (35 miles) north of Basra.
Things have not moved as quickly as we would like to see them happen on the political track. And militarily also there are challenges that continue Zalmay KhalilzadUS ambassador at the UN
Hundreds of people die every month in attacks which have brought Iraq to the brink of civil war.Hundreds of people die every month in attacks which have brought Iraq to the brink of civil war.
Millions of people have also been displaced by the spiralling sectarian strife.Millions of people have also been displaced by the spiralling sectarian strife.
Things have not moved as quickly as we would like to see them happen on the political track. And militarily also there are challenges that continue Zalmay KhalilzadUS ambassador at the UN
"Several armed men attacked my house at 2200 (1800 GMT) and killed 14 people, including my wife, brother and my 12 bodyguards," Col Jurani told AFP news agency."Several armed men attacked my house at 2200 (1800 GMT) and killed 14 people, including my wife, brother and my 12 bodyguards," Col Jurani told AFP news agency.
"The attackers also kidnapped my three children - two boys and a girl," he said. "The attackers also kidnapped my three children - two boys and a girl," said Col Jurani, who was not at home at the time.
He was not believed to have been at home at the time. His children are reported to be grown up.
No targetNo target
The Qurna bombs, hidden in two parked cars, went off in swift succession just as people were starting to crowd into the street market area in the centre of town to sell or buy fresh produce. In southern Iraq, at least 16 people, including women and children, died in two car bomb blasts on Friday.
At least another 32 were injured in the attacks, which targeted a busy market and a bus station in the town of Qurna, 60km (35 miles) north of Basra.
The bombs went off in swift succession just as people were starting to crowd into the street market area in the centre of town to sell or buy fresh produce.
Qurna's market was crowded when the insurgents hit
There was no apparent target, apart from the people themselves.There was no apparent target, apart from the people themselves.
Car bomb attacks like the ones in Qurna occur daily in Baghdad and other parts of troubled central Iraq, but there have been very few as far south, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad. Later in the day, in the predominantly Shia town of Dakuk in northern Iraq, near Kirkuk, at least 18 people died in a double bombing.
The market was crowded when the insurgents hit Police said Shia worshippers were leaving al-Thaqalain mosque at around 1400 local time (1000 GMT), when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside and a car bomb exploded outside.
The population in the south is mainly Shia. While the latest violence ranged over many parts of the country the common theme is that all the attacks appeared to be the work of Sunni insurgent groups, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad.
There are local power struggles, but indiscriminate car bombs like this in busy areas are not part of that, our correspondent says. The Shia south has largely been spared such indiscriminate attacks, he says.
Most of the violence in Iraq is between Sunnis and Shias. The fact that insurgents struck there could be a sign that Sunni insurgents are operating further afield because of the security surge in and around Baghdad.
Similar explosions elsewhere have been widely blamed on Sunni insurgents. US Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad admitted that "militarily... there are challenges that continue, and not only in Baghdad, but also outside Baghdad".
Our correspondent says a US-led troops "surge" for the Baghdad area may have helped push more insurgents away from the capital. There was a boost for the US-led coalition on Friday, however, as the parliament in Georgia backed an increase in the country's deployment to Iraq, from around 900 troops and personnel to around 2,000.
US Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad, who previously served in Iraq, told the BBC " the surge was intended to provide space for the government of Iraq to make the compromises among the various communities, to reduce the sources of violence".
"Things have not moved as quickly as we would like to see them happen on the political track. And militarily also there are challenges that continue, and not only in Baghdad, but also outside Baghdad," Mr Khalilzad told the Newshour programme.