- Title: IRAQ: SUICIDE CAR BOMB KILLS 13 IN BAGHDAD
- Date: 14th June 2004
- Summary: (U3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 14, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. LV OF PRESS CONFERENCE 0.08 2. MCU (English) IRAQS INTERIM PRIME MINISTER IYAD ALLAWI SAYING "It is an unfortunate and cowardly incident that happened today, five civilians had been killed and another three severely inured. These people had been helping Iraq to rebuild it's power stations and electric
- Embargoed: 29th June 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA15LZ0K60RFLG78N8B9L3DXTQQ
- Story Text: Suicide car bomb kills 13 in Baghdad.
A suicide car bombing in the heart of Baghdad killed
at least 13 people on Monday (June 14, 2004), including five
foreign contractors working for Iraq's U.S.-led
authorities, whose convoy was the apparent target.
It was the second suicide bombing in the Iraqi capital
in 24 hours and coincided with a wave of assassinations
aimed at the new interim government appointed to take over
from the U.S.-British occupation authorities on June 30.
Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said five foreign
workers had been killed in the morning rush-hour attack,
which devastated a busy street and ripped the front off one
building.
"Five civilians had been killed and another three severely
inured. These people had been helping Iraq to rebuild it's
power stations and electricity. Additionally a number of
Iraqis had also been killed and inured. We deplore this
criminal act and vow to bring these terrorists to justice
as soon as possible", Allawi told a news conference.
Hospital officials said at least eight other people had
been killed and dozens wounded, many of them with severe
burns or limbs torn off by the blast near Tahrir
(Liberation) Square.
The U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA)
employs thousands of contractors from many nations. Some
are involved in reconstruction projects, others are private
security guards.
Two Iraqi policemen at the scene said the blast had
killed five people in one CPA vehicle which was reduced to
a charred wreck. A police source said a bomber in a red
four-wheel-drive vehicle had set off the explosion, which
he said hit two other CPA vehicles and wounded five or six
occupants.
Crowds of shocked and angry Iraqis swarmed over the
area, some trying to pull survivors from the damaged
building before police fired in the air to clear a path for
emergency vehicles.
Dozens of people hammered on two of the CPA vehicles
caught in the blast, chanting "America is the enemy of
God", and later set fire to their fuel tanks.
U.S. tanks and other military vehicles escorted by
soldiers on foot sealed off the area with razor wire.
Truckloads of American troops in riot gear arrived to
control the crowds.
On Sunday a suicide car bombing killed up to 12 Iraqis
near a U.S.-Iraqi base in Baghdad and gunmen killed a
senior Iraqi civil servant and a university professor. A
top foreign ministry official was assassinated the previous
day.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None