Officials: String Of Bombings Kill Over 20 In Iraq Published February 23, 2012 BAGHDAD - Iraqi officials say a car bomb during rush hour in Baghdad's downtown shopping district has killed eight people and wounded 24. The blast shook buildings and windows blocks away on Thursday morning. A gray cloud of smoke hung over the blast site in the mostly Shiite neighborhood of Karradah where cars were charred and crumpled. Police say the car exploded near a security checkpoint. Officials at nearby Ibn al-Nafis and al-Rahibat hospitals confirmed the casualties. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information. Associated Press footage showed blood-covered people walking away from the scene. Storefronts at several nearby shops were damaged.