Wave of bombings hits Baghdad, killing 69

BAGHDAD — A wave of bombings struck outdoor markets and a restaurant in Shiite-dominated neighborhoods of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 69 people, officials said — the latest in a string of attacks in and around the Iraqi capital that have left more than 200 dead in the past week.

In the wake of the blast, influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose support runs deep in the district named after his father, issued a statement to his followers, saying the attacks “are the clearest evidence that your government has become unable to protect and provide you with security.”

In that attack, a roadside bomb first exploded outside the concrete blast walls surrounding an open-air market, followed by a suicide bomber who blew himself up as people gathered to help the victims of the first explosion, a police officer said.