Republican Palace in Baghdad, Iraq. Photo: wiki commons.

AJC/AP – Bombs ripped through 10 Iraqi cities Thursday, killing at least 30 people and shattering a month of relative calm. Minority lawmakers decried the violence as a tragic but inevitable result of the Shiite-led government’s attempts to dominate Iraqi politics.

Despite simmering sectarian tensions, a lull in deadly attacks since mid-March led many to hope Iraq had turned a corner and away from widespread violence. That proved overly optimistic as at least 14 bombs and mortar shells exploded across 10 cities over three hours in the morning. At least 117 people were wounded, police said.

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