24 Killed in Baghdad Bombings

At least 24 people were killed and 60 injured in a series of bombs in Baghdad early today, reports the Los Angeles Times.  In the worst attack, a car packed with explosives blew up as it slammed into a security checkpoint, killing 21 people. "I saw a fireball in front of the shop," said a worker at a  nearby hardware store. "I felt a hot liquid and I saw it was blood covering my face and hands."

The attacks occurred despite heightened security measures for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's historic visit to Iraq. Ahmadinejad is expected to sign a series of economic agreements on the final day of his trip today. The bombings were not connected to the visit, said Iraqi officials. "If the suicide bomber wants to commit suicide, how can we prevent them? It's not a violation of the tightened security measures," said a spokesman. (More Iraq stories.)