Iraq refinery blasts, attacks leave 8 dead

Twin bombings near an oil refinery north of Baghdad were among a series of attacks that killed eight people on Monday, officials said, part of a surge in nationwide violence. The attacks came days after an Al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for a recent spate of car bombs that struck the capital last week, killing 50, the latest in a spike in unrest that has raised worries the country is slipping back into all-out sectarian war. Two near-simultaneous roadside bombs went off along a main road near the Baiji oil refinery, which lies within Salaheddin province north of Baghdad, leaving two people dead and three wounded. Also on Monday, gunmen opened fire on a police checkpoint near Tikrit, also in Salaheddin, killing three policemen. Attacks elsewhere in Iraq left three people dead, including an alleged militant linked to Al-Qaeda, in Baghdad and north of the capital. Iraq has seen a surge in violence since the beginning of 2013, in which nearly 4,000 people have died so far, according to an AFP tally. Officials have vowed to press on with a campaign targeting militants that officials say has led to the capture of hundreds of alleged fighters and the killing of dozens of others. But the government has faced criticism for not doing more to tackle anger in the Sunni Arab community over alleged ill treatment at the hands of the Shiite-led authorities. Source: AFP