Iraqi police say a suicide bomb attack in a Kurdish town northeast of Baghdad has killed at least 25 people. 35 others were injured in Monday’s blast, with many reported to be in a critical condition.
Monday saw a wave of other attacks across Iraq, as soldiers, security workers and hospital staff were allowed to cast their votes two days ahead of Wednesday’s parliamentary election. 21 people are said to have died in separate attacks on polling stations across the country.
Iraq is holding its first nationwide general election since the withdrawal of US forces in 2011. The attacks are an apparent attempt to derail the early voting and discourage the rest of the country’s 22 million registered voters from going to the polls on Wednesday. The election is widely expected to be won by an alliance led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who’s seeking a third term in office.
