At least 100 killed in attacks in Iraq, reports say

A series of deadly attacks hit across Iraq early on Monday, killing at least 100 people and wounding dozens more, becoming the deadliest attack this year in Iraq, reports said. According to Ministry of Interior officials, the deadliest attack was at an Iraqi military base north of Baghdad when militants armed with mortars and small arms struck, killing at least 15 soldiers. Fifty miles north of Baghdad, at least three people, according to the officials, were wounded in the brazen attack on the base in the town of Dhuluiya, a one-time stronghold for Sunni supporters of former dictator Saddam Hussein.

Before this event, the deadliest attack this year took place on June 13, when a bomb targeted Shia pilgrims headed to a shrine in Baghdad. The incident killed at least 93 people and wounded 312 others. While overall attacks have slowed in Iraq since the height of violence in 2006, insurgents have routinely targeted Iraqi security forces and civilians since the U.S. withdrew its troops in December. “They promised us that violence would end when American troops leave Iraq, but on the contrary, things are getting worse,” said college student Khalid Nima, pointing a finger at the government for failing to stanch the violence. “This is not the country where I want to plan for my future.”