Death toll rises to 147, Baghdad to mourn 3 days

Thirty-five employees of the Ministry of Justice and at least 25 staff members of the Baghdad Provincial Council were among those killed.

The car bombs, which the government said had al-Qaeda's 'signature', exploded simultaneously at around 10:30 am (0730 GMT) in Baghdad.

The explosions destroyed dozens of cars and smashed water pipes in the city, AFP reported.

One of the blasts occurred at a busy intersection near the justice and municipalities ministries while the other took place opposite the nearby Baghdad provincial government offices in Salhiyeh neighborhood.

Authorities closed off roads leading to the bomb sites as fire trucks and ambulances struggled to reach the blazing buildings.

There have been no claims of responsibility so far, and Iraq has declared a three-day national mourning period.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited the site of the twin blasts shortly after the incidents, walking among the mangled and blackened cars that lay in front of the blast walls. Al-Maliki said he holds Baathists and al-Qaeda responsible for the attacks.

The fact that two government buildings were hit shows that the terrorists are still capable of launching major attacks, and many fear such attacks will only increase in the run-up to the parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to be held in January. 

Many pundits say the terrorists' double bombing was meant to paint the Iraqi leader as incapable of providing security to the beleaguered city and to undermine his political support.

Other analysts say the terrorists are trying to make Iraqis too afraid to vote in the parliamentary elections.

Source: presstv.ir