Wave of attacks across Iraq kill 49

A wave of attacks in more than a dozen Iraqi cities yesterday killed at least 49 people on the anniversary of the US-led invasion of the country, just days before Baghdad hosts a landmark Arab summit.
The violence, which left more than 250 people wounded, bore the hallmarks of al-Qaeda, which typically tries to launch coordinated nationwide mass-casualty bombing campaigns, although no one immediately claimed responsibility.
Following the attacks, the government declared a week of public holidays from March 25 to April 1.
Arab leaders are expected in Baghdad for the March 27-29 Arab League summit.
It was swiftly condemned by Iraq's parliament speaker as a bid by the jihadist group to derail this month's summit, while United Nations envoy Martin Kobler described the violence as "atrocious".
Bombings and shootings rocked 18 towns and cities spanning the northern oil hub of Kirkuk and the Shia shrine city of Karbala, south of Baghdad, from 7:00am, in the deadliest violence to strike Iraq in more than two months.
In central Baghdad, a car bomb exploded in the car park opposite the foreign ministry, killing 3 and wounding nine, officials said, underscoring concerns over Iraq's ability to maintain security for the meeting.
The deadliest attacks occurred in Kirkuk and Karbala, where 26 people died in total.
In ethnically-mixed Kirkuk, a suicide bomber blew up a vehicle at a police building, killing 13 people and wounding 60. All of the dead were police, as were the vast majority of those hurt.
In Karbala, two roadside blasts at the entrance to the city killed 13 people and wounded 48, according to provincial health spokesman Jamal Mehdi.
Hours before yesterday's foreign ministry attack, a car bomb set off by a suicide attacker in the centre of the capital killed five people and wounded 28, officials said. An early-morning gun attack on a Baghdad church also left three police dead.
Car bombs in Hilla, south of Baghdad, and Ramadi, west of the capital, killed four people and wounded 44, officials said.
Separate gun and bomb attacks in Salaheddin province killed six people, including a city councillor, police said. Gunmen also killed a member of the Shabak minority in the main northern city of Mosul.
Security forces also said they defused six more car bombs.
Yesterday's violence was Iraq's deadliest day since January 14, when 53 people were killed in a suicide bombing outside the southern port of Basra.
The attacks come on the ninth anniversary of the beginning of the US-led invasion of Iraq which ousted Saddam Hussein.