BAGHDAD, Iraq - At least 171 people were killed in an outbreak of rebel attacks on Tuesday, including car bombs that tore through mainly Shiite crowds gathered at a bus station on a shopping street. In the worst of the attacks, a car packed with explosives exploded at an intersection in the Sadriya neighborhood that serves as a station for buses. At least 140 people were killed and 150 wounded. Dozens of vehicles burned, including several buses full of passengers.
As rescuers crowded the site, a sniper opened fire upon the crowd. At least one person was killed by the gunman, who apparently escaped. The attacks came as Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki declared that the Iraqi government would take control of security from the American-led forces before the end of the year. In two other attacks, parked cars packed with explosives exploded on busy streets near hospitals, Baghdad International Airport, and the main military base of the American command.