Iraq Suicide Bombers Kill 27

The New York Times reports:

Suicide bombers detonated two car bombs on Tuesday outside the governor’s compound in a southern Iraqi city, killing 27 people, many of them police officers, and wounding dozens of others, according to local officials.

It was not immediateley clear whether the governor, Salem Alwan Hussein, was injured in the attack in the city of Diwaniya, which marked one of the more significant assaults in southern Iraq this year.

“I was at the checkpoint this morning near the governor’s home when the explosion happened,” said Hussein Mohammed Ali, 29, a police officer. “I then felt myself on the ground and blood coming down my body and it hurt very much. Moments later, I heard another blast and I lost consciousness.”

Although violence has decreased significantly in Iraq in recent years there is still a steady stream of attacks, particularly against government officials and security forces. Last week, suicide bombers attacked a provincial council office in the city of Baquba, killing seven.