RAMADI, Iraq – Twin suicide bombs killed at least 27 and wounded more than 100 in Iraq on Wednesday and a roadside bomb killed seven pilgrims returning from a major Shi’ite Muslim religious festival.

With the overall drop in violence, the bombings today were apparantly meant prove that the insurgency is still alive and well and targeting areas of vulnerability as the nation prepares to go to the polls in March, when the U.S. forces are slated to turn over the day-to-day operations to local troops.

One of the attacks appeared to target Anbar Province Governor Qassim Mohammed’s convoy as he made his way to work outside of the Provincial Capital. U.S. forces have flown the Governor to Baghdad for treatment.

Hospital and police sources said Sadoon Khraibit, a member of Anbar’s governing council, and its deputy police chief were wounded in the attacks, which created a bloody carnage of cars, trucks, and innocent civilians burned and destroyed in the street in Ramadi, 100 km (60 miles) west of Baghdad

State television Iraqiya said one of the bombers was a man working as a bodyguard for the governor.

Police confirmed that Khraibit later died in hospital.

A separate, roadside bomb killed seven Iraqis returning from a major Shi’ite Muslim religious festival. At least 25 other pilgrims were wounded in the attack in Khalis, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad according to Police authorities.

The first attack ,

Colonel Jabbar Ajaj said a suicide bomber detonated explosives in a vehicle in the initial blast, followed shortly by a second suicide attack by a bomber on foot.

Mohammed was at the site of the blast inspecting the damage, a source at the Ramadi hospital reported, when the second attacker struck.

Many of the 105 people wounded were police.

U.S. President Barack Obama has promised to stop combat operations in Iraq by the end of August 2010, and all U.S. troops are required to withdraw by the end of 2011.