Hotel Bombings Kill At Least 31

At least three large explosions occurred in central Baghdad on 25 January 2010. The bombings, which targeted local hotels, occurred at approximately 1540 local time. One explosion occurred near the Babylon Hotel on the western side of the Tigris River, while another occurred near the Ishtar Sheraton Hotel on the eastern side of the Tigris. The third explosion occurred near the entrance to the al-Hamra Hotel. At least 31 fatalities have been reported thus far, though casualty numbers are likely to change as additional information emerges. The attacks are the latest in a series of high-profile, coordinated bombings to target the central Baghdad area since mid-2009. Although the Iraqi security apparatus has been on a heightened state of alert for potential attacks ahead of the upcoming 7 March parliamentary elections, it has thus far proven largely ineffective in preventing bombings, including attacks in areas of the city considered to be well-secured. Security will likely be further bolstered in central Baghdad in response to these latest attacks, which targeted hotels as opposed to government buildings like the previous attacks in August, October and December 2009.