12 killed by Baghdad car bombs

BAGHDAD - Two car bombs killed at least 12 people and wounded 71 others in Baghdad on Thursday, police sources said.

The sources said one car bomb exploded in a market and the other in a petrol station. Hospital sources said they expected the number of casualties to rise.

Sunni insurgents are waging a campaign of suicide and car bombings, shootings and assassinations in a bid to topple the Shi'ite-led government.

Iraqi and US officials have said they expect a surge in violence following the release of the results of the December 15 parliamentary election, which gave Shi'ite Islamists a near majority.

The United States hopes that talks on forming a new coalition government that encompasses Shi'ites, Kurds and Sunnis will undermine Sunni support for the insurgency and enable it to bring its troops back home.

- REUTERS