Iraq: Anger as bomb at funeral kills 48

A car bomb ripped through a funeral tent in a mainly Shia area of Baghdad yesterday, killing at least 48 people and triggering skirmishes between Iraqi troops and demonstrators angry about security failures.

The blast and three other small bombings were the latest in more than a week of attacks that have killed more than 200 people, raising fears about a rise in violence as the US military prepares to withdraw from the country.

The violence has targeted the majority Shia and Iraqi security forces, posing a major challenge to the fragile coalition government.