60 people arrested over suicide bombings in Iraq

At least 60 people working for the security forces in Iraq have been detained in connection with the suicide bombings which tore through Baghdad on Sunday. Eleven of those arrested all held senior posts.

Of those arrested, 15 are officers who were based at checkpoints close to the location of the bombings. Sunday's suicide bombings killed 150 and wounded 500. These were the worst attacks the capital of Baghdad has witnessed since 2007. It is still uncertain whether the officers were detained for their lack of care or if they had some direct involvement in the suicide attacks. The arrests add weight to the arguments that security forces in Iraq are not well-equipped enough to protect the country properly, or that the forces are too easily influenced by rogue forces. Earlier this week a group with links to al-Qaeda said they were behind Sunday's bomb blasts but there is still a degree of doubt over these claims. There is a concern that attacks like these are set to worsen in the run-up to elections. According to the BBC, U.S. President Barack Obama said he was "outraged" following the news of the suicide attacks.