Dozens killed in Iraqi bombings

Aftermath of the bomb attacks in Sadr City, Baghdad At least 34 people have been killed in a double suicide bomb attack in northern Iraq, police and medics say. They say about 60 people were injured when two bombers detonated their explosive vests in the town of Talafar, near Mosul. The attacks are the deadliest since the withdrawal last week of US combat troops from Iraqi towns and cities. In Baghdad, at least seven people were killed and nearly 20 injured in two bomb explosions in Sadr City. In the capital's central Karrada area, a roadside bomb blast killed one civilian, police say. They say the attack targeted a convoy of Iraq's Central Bank governor, who was unhurt. 'Policeman targeted' The attacks in Talafar, which is populated mainly by members of the Turkmen ethnic minority, happened at about 0730 (0430 GMT) and in quick succession. First, a suicide bomber - who was reportedly wearing a police uniform - detonated his explosives vest. The second blast followed as people gathered at the scene of the first explosion. In pictures: Deadly bombings There are fears that the death toll will rise further, police say. The target of the attack appears to have been a member of the local security forces, the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Baghdad says. A senior policeman in Mosul told the BBC that the officer had been killed in the attack along with his wife and two children. He adds that this area of northern Iraq is rapidly becoming Iraq's most dangerous region. On Wednesday, two explosions near Shia mosques in Mosul killed at least nine people and wounded many more. In Sadr City, a Shia area of Baghdad, two roadside bombs exploded in a market, killing at least seven people. The bombs were reportedly placed in rubbish piles in the area. US combat troops pulled out from Iraqi towns and cities last week. US President Barack Obama has described the handover to Iraqis as a milestone, warning that the country's leaders would face "hard choices" on security and politics. The withdrawal came ahead of the full departure of US forces by 2012.