Friends(?) of Syria now the Friends of Iraq- Attacks kill at least 10 in Iraq

At least 10 people, including a provincial elections candidate and seven policemen, have been killed in a series of attacks in Iraq, according to police.

The attacks against security forces and Najam Saeed, a candidate in the provincial elections, came on Sunday as Iraq is preparing for the April 20 elections, The Associated Press reported.

In the northern city of Mosul, a booby-trapped dead body exploded in a street among a group of policemen when they were inspecting it. The incident left five policemen dead.

Earlier in the day, a roadside bomb targeted Saeed’s convoy near Muqadiyah town, 90 kilometers north of Baghdad. He was killed during the bombing, which was followed by shooting between unidentified gunmen and the candidate’s bodyguards. Two of Saeed’s brothers were killed, and his son and three bodyguards were injured in the attack.

Also on Sunday, in the western city of Fallujah, a roadside bomb hit a police patrol, killing two policemen.

The incidents are the latest in a string of attacks that have left scores of people dead across the country this year.

On Friday, a dozen people were killed and over 30 others injured in a bomb attack near a mosque north of Baghdad.

The explosion occurred as worshipers were leaving Omar bin Abdul Aziz Mosque in the town of Kanaan, about 75 kilometers northeast of the capital, after the Friday Prayers.

On April 1, at least 12 people, including several security officers, were killed in Baghdad and in the city of Tikrit.

The attacks come amid a rise in violence across the country as Iraqis prepare for their first elections in three years. The provincial polls are due to be held in 12 of Iraq’s 18 provinces on April 20.