Iraqi security forces were sharply criticised on Saturday a day after a car bomb in a market in central Iraq killed 30 people, in the worst attack to hit the country since May 10.
The town of Khales, where the blast struck on Friday evening, was closed to traffic and stringent checkpoint searches were imposed in nearby Baquba, the capital of Diyala province.
“Khales is a disaster zone,” said provincial deputy governor Sadiq al-Husseini, who put the toll at 30 dead and 80 wounded. “Tomorrow, a meeting of the provincial council will be held to remove from office Diyala police chief Major General Abdul al-Hussein al-Shammari and Khales police chief Brigadier General Khodeir al-Timimi,” he said.
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UK leaders in Kabul for talks
Kabul : Ministers from Britain’s new coalition government were in Afghanistan on Saturday for talks with President Hamid Karzai and other officials on what is likely to be London’s biggest foreign policy issue for years to come.
Foreign secretary William Hague, defence secretary Liam Fox and international development secretary Andrew Mitchell will meet Mr Karzai and some of his ministers, visit British tro-ops and also see a British-funded development project, officials said. The delegation arrived amid heightened security in Kabul and also included football star David Beckham, who would meet troops at their camps. —Reuters