Some 57 people were killed and more than 150 wounded on Thursday night in twin suicide bombings attacks in a busy market in Hilla City, 120 km south of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua.

According to the source, "the first suicide bomber wearing explosive-belt blew himself up in front of a CD selling shop in the entrance of the busy market."

He was followed by another suicide bomber that detonated among the fleeing cars and people, intending to cause more casualties.

The two explosions, in all, have killed 57 and wounded 150 so far, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Earlier records had stated 12 killed and more than 25 wounded.

Violence rages in Iraq as sectarian killings, suicide attacks, bombings, abductions cause dozens of casualties daily.

Also on Thursday, an Iraqi professor was killed when gunmen stormed into a college in Baquba City, 60 km northeast of Baghdad, a local police source said.

"Professor Walhan al-Rubaie, the dean of the sporting education college in Diyala University was gunned down around midday by unknown gunmen in the campus of the college in Baquba City," The source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Education in Iraqi universities has all but crumbled due to sectarian strife, security and political vacuum after three and a half years of US-led occupation.

(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2007)