Baghdad blasts kill five
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
BAGHDAD, Dec 15 (AP): A series of car bombs ripped through downtown Baghdad early Tuesday, killing five and wounding at least 16 people in the latest attack in the Iraqi capital targeting an area home to many government buildings, government officials said.
At least three blasts occurred within minutes of each other near the heavily protected Green Zone, which houses the U.S. Embassy, as well as the Iraqi parliament and other government offices. The attacks raise questions about the government's ability to protect itself and its citizens as U.S. forces prepare to withdraw from the country.
Two of Tuesday's car bombs detonated near the Iraqi government's Foreign and Immigration ministries; a third went off near the Iranian embassy, two police officials said.
Thick clouds of black smoke could be seen lingering over the area. Firefighters and neighborhood residents worked to put out fires, while Iraqi security forces fired their guns into the air to disperse growing crowds.
"I had just left my house to go to my school when the big explosion took place," said 12-year-old Mohammed Hussein, who lives nearby.
At least three blasts occurred within minutes of each other near the heavily protected Green Zone, which houses the U.S. Embassy, as well as the Iraqi parliament and other government offices. The attacks raise questions about the government's ability to protect itself and its citizens as U.S. forces prepare to withdraw from the country.
Two of Tuesday's car bombs detonated near the Iraqi government's Foreign and Immigration ministries; a third went off near the Iranian embassy, two police officials said.
Thick clouds of black smoke could be seen lingering over the area. Firefighters and neighborhood residents worked to put out fires, while Iraqi security forces fired their guns into the air to disperse growing crowds.
"I had just left my house to go to my school when the big explosion took place," said 12-year-old Mohammed Hussein, who lives nearby.