A huge blast, caused by a rocket-propelled grenade, destroyed a car near an entrance to the headquarters of the U.S.-led occupation Monday, killing at least four people, the US military said. An Iraqi policeman said they were foreigners.
About an hour later, at least two other explosions were heard elsewhere in central Baghdad, and smoke rose from the vicinity of the Green Zone, which houses the occupation headquarters.
In the car explosion, US troops tried to pull the men from the shattered vehicle and quickly sealed off the area, said witness Kamel Raji. According to The AP, the bombing took place some 500 meters from one of the main entrances to the Green Zone.
U.S. Army Col. John Murray said the explosion occurred about 2 p.m. and that the military was trying to identify the nationalities of the victims. He confirmed four deaths.
The British Foreign Office stated that two nationals were killed in this attack. The men were security guards driving through the Green Zone as part of a protection team, it added.
Mohammed Naem, a noncommissioned police officer who saw the car blast, said the vehicle was a bulletproof Toyota Land Cruiser that was on its way to the convention center in the Green Zone. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
