Baghdad coffee shop bombing kills at least 12: Officials

BAGHDAD - Agence France-Presse

A late-night bombing at a coffee shop in west Baghdad killed at least 12 people on April 18, the latest in a spike in violence just days ahead of Iraq's first elections since US troops withdrew.

The blast struck in the mostly-Sunni Amriyah neighbourhood and also wounded 24 people, security and medical officials said. Among the dead were at least three children.

An estimated 13.5 million Iraqis are eligible to vote for more than 8,000 candidates standing in Saturday's provincial elections, with 378 seats being contested.

Iraqi forces are solely responsible for polling day security, the first time they have been in charge without support from American or other international forces during elections since dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003.