Officials: Coordinated car bomb attacks on Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad kill at least 20 people

BAGHDAD – Police and health officials say four co-ordinated car bomb attacks on Shiite pilgrims in the Iraqi capital have killed at least 20 people.

The death toll was expected to rise in Wednesday’s attacks — the third this week targeting the annual religious processions. The bombings threaten to ratchet up sectarian violence.

Two police officers say the first bomb struck at around 5 a.m. in the northern neighbourhood of Taji, killing seven. Within hours, three more explosions hit other processions in different parts of the city, killing at least 13 more. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The pilgrims were making their way to the shrine for a revered Shiite imam for the annual commemoration that climaxes on Saturday.