19 killed in south Iraq bombings: officials

BASRA: Three bombs exploded in the southern port city of Basra on Thursday, killing 19 people and wounding at least 65, security and medical officials said, updating an earlier toll.

A roadside bomb and a motorcycle bomb exploded simultaneously at about 6:40 pm (1540 GMT) in a market in central Basra, an interior ministry official said.

Following a common pattern in Iraq, a third roadside bomb went off as people gathered at the scene, according to the official, who put toll at 19 killed and 67 wounded.

Riyadh Abdelamir, the head of the Basra health directorate, said that 19 people were killed and 65 wounded in the blasts.