US condemns latest violence in Baghdad

The United States on Tuesday condemned the latest spate of deadly attacks in Baghdad, Iraq, and urged political parties to work towards a democratic, peaceful resolution. The US embassy in Baghdad is engaged with the Iraqi government over the recent uptick in terrorist attacks, including several on Monday that killed scores of civilians in the nation's capital. "We are deeply concerned by the frequency and nature of recent attacks, including the bombing of a bus today in Baghdad and a truck bomb north of Baghdad as well today. So the targeting of innocent people in an effort to sow instability and division is reprehensible, and our condolences go out to the victims and their families," State department spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters in Washington. "We remain committed to supporting Iraq's democratic system, and we urge Iraq leaders to continue to working toward a peaceful resolution, to work through their system, to work through dialogue, and so we continue to work to help Iraq overcome the threat of terrorism and its internal issues. So this is something we're very actively engaged on and very focused on," He added. American officials are working to calm tensions between senior Iraqi leaders. Unresolved sectarian tensions have touched off the highest rate of violence since President Barack Obama withdrew the last US troops in December 2012.