Bombs in market in Basra, Iraq, kill 19

The first bomb was hidden in a three-wheeled motorbike and the others exploded after security forces arrived at the market, where vendors sell used motorbikes, mobile phones, construction material and other goods.

Most of the victims of Thursday's bombing were police and soldiers, including several senior leaders, said Ali al-Maliki, head of the Basra provincial council security committee.

Basra, 240 miles southeast of Baghdad, is the largest city in the mainly Shi'ite south and the heart of Iraq's oil industry. It hosts a major conference for international oil executives and industry officials starting Friday.

Basra's four-day oil conference is expected to host senior government oil officials and executives from international companies such as Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, the Telegraph reports.