Iraq twin blasts kill seven :

First test for Maliki

IRAQ: Twin bombings targeting Iraqi government offices in Ramadi Monday killed seven people and wounded dozens, in a first test for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki since he assumed the security portfolio.

Police said a car bomb exploded near the provincial headquarters in the heart of Ramadi city, 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Baghdad, followed 15 minutes later by a suicide bombing which witnesses said occurred amid ambulances and rescue workers attending to victims of the first blast.

Among the dead were four police while at least 51 people were wounded, including women and children, officials said.

The attacks marked the third time this year that the headquarters of the Anbar provincial government have been attacked and came a day after a new police chief for the province in western Iraq took up his post.

They also mark the first major attack since Maliki was confirmed for a second term in office last Tuesday and his new government, in which he retains Iraq's three security portfolios, won approval in parliament.

"A car bomb exploded near the Anbar provincial government offices around 9:30 am (0630 GMT) followed about 15 minutes later by a suicide bombing," said a police spokesman, Major Rahim Zabin.

"Seven people were killed, including four police, and 51 were injured, among them women and children."

Ramadi, Tuesday, AFP