Mortar attack kills 12 in east Baghdad

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BAGHDAD, Aug 19 (AP): A mortar barrage slammed into a mainly Shiite east Baghdad neighbourhood Sunday, killing 12 and wounding 31, police said.
Women and children were among the dead and wounded, and some houses in the neighbourhood were damaged, according to police.
The victims were taken to Ibin al-Nafis and Sadr hospitals, police said.
Hussein Saadon, 56, an owner of a small minibus station in the Ubaidi neighbourhood, was soaked in blood after he drove four victims to the hospital.
"The attack occurred before noon. We heard sounds of four or five explosions, one after the other which hit central Ubaidi. We rushed to the place of the attack and we saw several houses which were hit. Two were badly damaged.