Car bombs kills 7 Iraqis, injures 20 in Babil

BAGHDAD, April 24 (KUNA) -- At least seven Iraqis were killed and 20 others injured in a car bomb on a checkpoint in Hillah, Babil province, central Iraq on Thursday.
The casualties included policemen and civilians, Iraqi police sources told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). The explosion also caused damage to vehicles lined up at the checkpoint.
Police cordoned off the road leading to the site of the explosion, where cars pass through to Najaf province, the source said, adding that ambulances rushed to the area taking the wounded to a nearby hospital.
Iraq has recently seen rising tensions and increasing acts of violence with the upcoming parliamentary elections just around the corner, set to take place on April 30. (end) mhg.ag