A wave of early-morning bombings and attacks by gunmen all across Iraq have killed more than 50 people and injured well over one hundred. According to Al Jazeera, timing of the attacks (the all took place between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. local time) suggest that they were well coordinated and that "the common denominator" seems to be that the attacks were targeting security and police in Shia-dominated areas. The casualty counts are expected to rise as cleanup and recovery continues. Meanwhile, in Peshawar in northern Pakistan, a large car bomb exploded next to a bus stop, killing as least 15 people, including some children. Officials there believe that Lashkar-e-Islam, a pro-Taliban militant group, may be behind the attack, according to The New York Times. The attacks are not directly related, but demonstrate how the governments of countries remain under siege from insurgents looking to solidify their standing.

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Dashiell Bennett