Blasts and gun battle blamed on al-Qaida leave at least 22 dead in Baghdad

The blasts were followed by followed by a co-ordinated assault by gunmen who raided a government building and battled security forces in the streets.

The fighting lasted about an hour, ending with security forces storming the building, killing the gunmen and allowing more 
than 1,000 people inside to 
leave.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida’s Iraqi arm. The group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, frequently uses car bombs and co-ordinated blasts in an effort to undermine Iraqis’ confidence in the Shiite-led government.

At least two blasts, including one car bomb and another believed to be from a suicide bomber, went off near a building housing the Justice Ministry.

One employee said: “Everybody panicked (after the first blast) and seconds later we heard a second explosion. I looked through the window and I saw some gunmen wearing police uniforms entering the building. We knew that these policemen were fake.”

Police said 55 people were wounded.

Deadly attacks remain frequent in Iraq.