26 dead in Iraq bomb blasts At least 26 people have been killed in a series of bomb blasts across Iraq. The deadliest attack came in the town of Taji, just north of Baghdad. Three explosive-rigged cars went off within minutes of each other, killing eight people and injuring 28. The wave of attacks stretched from the oil-rich city of Kirkuk to the southern Shia town of Kut. They mainly targeted Shia neighbourhoods of the security forces. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the violence, but it bears the hallmarks of previous bombings carred out by Al Qaeda. In Kut, a suicide bomber drove a minibus into a security checkpoint. Three police officers were killed and five wounded. Violence in Iraq has fallen from its 2006-7 peak, but bombings have been an almost daily occurrence since the withdrawal of US troops from the country at the end of last year. More about: Attack, Bomb blast, Iraq