Iraq attacks on Shiites kill 123 in three days

The latest in a wave of bloodshed mostly targeting Shiite Muslims in Iraq has left 123 dead in the past three days amid fears the country is slipping back into all-out war.
The surge in violence, which has also wounded more than 320 others, comes at a time when the country is grappling with a protracted political stand-off and months of anti-government protests. Analysts have warned that the deadlock is unlikely to be resolved at least until general elections due next year.
No group has claimed responsibility for the killings, but Sunni militants linked to al-Qaeda often target Shiites, whom they regard as apostates.

In today's deadliest violence, a bomb went off in the Nahrawan area of southeast Baghdad, killing seven people and wounding at least 14 others, sources said.
The bloodshed came after a wave of bombings and shootings across Iraq yesterday killed 57 people and follows unrest on Monday in which 49 others died.
A member of parliament said the situation is unlikely to get any better as Iraq heads next week into the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which has seen in past years an increase in attacks.

"Nothing will change," said Hassan Jihad, a Kurdish MP on parliament's security and defence committee.

"This month will not be better because the security forces will carry out the same routine, there will be no change in their activities."
And "they (militants) will continue to show that they are everywhere, that they can reach any place."
The surge in violence comes amid a protracted political standoff within Iraq's national unity government.
While political leaders have pledged to resolve the dispute, with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki meeting his two main rivals last month, no tangible measures have been agreed.
Meanwhile, tensions have continued along a swathe of disputed territory in northern Iraq, and months of protests among the Sunni Arab community have continued unabated, albeit in smaller numbers since provincial elections earlier this year.