At Least 152 Killed in Baghdad by 12 Explosions

At least a dozen explosions rocked the Iraqi capital of Baghdad Wednesday killing at least 152 people. The death toll may rise further as rescue and recovery missions continue at the various sites.

The group calling itself al-Qaeda in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the blasts. The terrorist organization linked the explosions to the recent fighting between insurgent groups and American and Iraqi government forces in the city of Tal Afar in the past week.

The biggest single blast on Wednesday took place in the neighborhood of Kazimiyah, a heavily Shi'ite area. The blast took place in an area where day laborers had gathered to look for work. At least 88 people were killed in that explosion and another 227 were injured.

Wednesday's bombings were the worst single day of violence in Iraq since March 2, 2004 when coordinated bombings killed 181 people and injured at least 573 more.

Unfortunately, it shows the insurgency to be alive and well despite continued efforts by U.S. troops and their Iraqi government allies to defeat it.