Blasts claim 17 in Baghdad

A string of blasts across the Iraqi capital targeting voters killed 17 people yesterday, authorities said, ratcheting up fear in an already tense city as many Iraqis cast early ballots ahead of Sunday's nationwide parliamentary elections.
Insurgents have repeatedly threatened to use violence to disrupt the elections, which will help determine who will oversee the country as US forces go home and whether the country can overcome its deep sectarian divides. Two of Thursday's blasts hit voters outside polling stations.
"Terrorists wanted to hamper the elections, thus they started to blow themselves up in the streets," said Deputy Interior Minister Ayden Khalid Qader, who's responsible for election-related security across the country.
He said that because the bombers were not able to reach polling places due to security measures, they were targeting voters on their way to polling centres. Many of the victims were believed to be security personnel the main group to cast their ballots during early voting since they will be working on Election Day.