Baghdad (CBS/AP) -- Hospital and police officials raised the toll from Iraq's deadliest bombing in two years to 155 people on Monday.
More than 500 people were also injured in the deadly blasts which tore through the heart of downtown Baghdad on Sunday, hundreds of yards from the heavily fortified Green Zone.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The deadly blasts appeared to target two government buildings - the Ministry of Justice and the Baghdad provincial government - and dozens of civil servants were among the dead.
Iraq's ability to protect its people as U.S. forces withdraw was called instantly into question by the attack.
The bombings show that insurgents still have the ability to launch horrific attacks even as violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq. Many fear such attacks will only increase as Iraq prepares for crucial January elections.
The dead included 35 employees at the Ministry of Justice and at least 25 staff members of the Baghdad Provincial Council, said police and medical officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. At least 721 people were wounded, including three American contractors.
Dr. Salah Abdel Razaq, Baghdad's governor, was in his office in the provincial council building when the bombs went off. More than 100 of his colleagues were injured, most by flying shards of glass. One colleague, a senior prosecutor for the capital city, was blinded in both eyes by glass from the shattered windows.
"The bodies I have seen - these innocent people, what they have done?" a bewildered Razaq asked CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer on the phone. "To have this destiny, it is very terrible."
The street where the blasts occurred had just been reopened to vehicle traffic six months ago. Shortly after, blast walls were repositioned to allow traffic closer to the government buildings. Such changes were touted by Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as a sign that safety was returning to the city.
The Iraqi leader walked among the mangled and blackened cars, which lay in front of blast walls that had been decorated with peaceful street scenes of Iraq. At the Justice Ministry, windows and walls on both sides of the street were blown away, and blood pooled with water from burst pipes.
Al-Maliki has staked his political reputation and re-election bid on his ability to bring peace to the country and pledged to punish those responsible, who he said wanted to "spread chaos in the country, undermine the political process and prevent the holding of parliamentary elections." But the Sunday attacks seemed designed to paint the Iraqi leader as incapable of providing security to the beleaguered city, undermining much of his political support.
The attacks occurred just hours before Iraq's top leadership was scheduled to meet with heads of political parties in order to reach a compromise on election guidelines needed to hold the January vote.
President Barack Obama, who earlier this week reaffirmed the U.S.'s commitment to withdrawing its troops from the country, called al-Maliki to offer his condolences.
"These bombings serve no purpose other than the murder of innocent men, women and children, and they only reveal the hateful and destructive agenda of those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that they deserve," Obama said.
Sen. John McCain told CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday that the attacks should not cause the United States to delay withdrawing American troops from Iraq, adding that he believes such violence will continue.
The Arizona Republican said the attacks indicate that improving the situation there is a slow process and a "terrible tragedy." He blamed extremists trying to ignite sectarian violence, but said that while such attacks continue, "they are not sustainable.
"The majority of the people are opposed to them. And the Iraqi military will be able to handle this transition. But it's not going to be without tragedies such as we've seen just today," he added.
Photo: Iraqis gather at the site of a massive bomb attack in Baghdad on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009. Police say a pair of powerful explosions rocked downtown Baghdad as people headed to work. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
Health Care Reform Debate 11/21
Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow addresses the floor on the first vote that will take place for the health reform bill.
Health Care Debate 11/21
Michigan Senator Carl Levin addresses the Senate prior to a vote on the health care reform bill.
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