France condemns new wave of bombings in Iraq

The French government on Tuesday strongly condemned a new wave of bombings that hit several areas of Iraq on Monday, killing at least 50 people and wounding over 300 others. A Foreign Ministry statement said that France sent a message of condolences to the victims' families and Paris expressed "solidarity with the Iraqi authorities in their fight against terrorism." The latest wave of bombings came only days ahead of provincial elections in Iraq in a period when there has been a sharp rise in sectarian violence, which has killed several hundred in the past months. "With only days until the provincial elections, France reaffirms the importance of an inclusive democratic process and calls for unity and a refusal of violence," Foreign Ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said in a briefing.