In Iraq, 136 people were killed and more than 500 others wounded in two bomb explosions that targeted the government buildings in Baghdad on Sunday. Quoting police sources, Voice of Iraq news agency reported that the explosive-laden vehicles were parked in parking garages next to the Justice Ministry and the Baghdad provincial administration buildings in al-Salehiya region in central Baghdad. Almost all the killed and wounded were civilians. The injured were rushed by ambulances and civilian vehicles to the hospitals of al-Kindi, al-Yarmuk and Ibn al-Nafis. The two explosions set a large number of civilian vehicles ablaze, including some that had passengers aboard. Iraq has announced a three-day national mourning period for the victims. The Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement that blasts hold the fingerprints of al- Qaeda and al-Baath as they are similar to the ones that took place in August. The devastating attacks occurred just hours before Iraq’s top leadership was scheduled to meet with heads of political parties today and reach a compromise on the disputed election law ahead of a crucial parliamentary vote in January. The central Baghdad’s heavily-fortified zone is home to the Iraqi government offices, the headquarters of the Iraqi Parliament and the U.S. and British embassy compound.