Bomb attacks in Iraq kill dozens

Dozens killed by Iraq car bombs At least four bombs have exploded in Iraq, killing about 40 people and wounding more than 200. Two truck bombs exploded in a Shia village near the northern city of Mosul, killing at least 23 people and injuring around 130. Meanwhile, two bombs went off near construction sites in Baghdad, with 16 people killed and more than 80 wounded. The attacks come a month after US troops pulled back from cities and handed over security to Iraqi soldiers. At least 36 people were killed in a series of attacks on Shia areas on Friday. Al-Qaeda stronghold At about 0400 (0100 GMT) on Monday, truck bombs exploded nearly simultaneously in the village of Khaznah, 20km (13 miles) east of Mosul.The blasts were so powerful that at least 30 houses in the village - home to the tiny Shia Shabak ethnic group - were completely destroyed. Police say the death toll could still rise because many people are still buried under the rubble of their own homes. "I was sleeping on the roof and I woke up as if there was an earthquake. After than I saw a plume of smoke and dust spreading everywhere," resident Mohammed Kadhem, 37, told the AFP news agency. "A minute later another bomb went off, knocking me off the roof on to the ground. I was struck unconscious by shrapnel and stones." Ethnically-mixed Mosul - Iraq's second city - is considered one of the last strongholds of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and still sees frequent attacks despite a decline in violence elsewhere in the country. Positive message However, despite security gains in Baghdad, at least two bombs went off near construction sites in separate parts of the capital on Monday. They appeared to be mainly targeting labourers who were gathering in the early morning looking for work. One of the bombs was hidden in a pile of rubbish when it went off in the western district of Hay al-Amel, killing at least seven people and wounding 46.Minutes later a second bomb went off in the northern area of Shurta Arbaa, killing at least nine people and wounding 35. The Iraqi government has tried to send a positive message to Iraqis, saying they are in control and these attacks are caused by the remnants of the insurgency. But this message is getting lost because of the violence, the BBC's Natalia Antelava in Baghdad says. A car bomb exploded outside a mosque during a funeral service last Friday, killing 30 people. Meanwhile in Baghdad on Friday, three bombs killed six people returning from a pilgrimage.