Another bloody day in occupied Iraq.
Eyewitness: Baghdad blast](BBC NEWS | Middle East | Eyewitness: Baghdad blast)
The BBC’s Peter Greste was outside the Iraqi government compound in Baghdad at the time of Wednesday’s blast. He and other witnesses have described the scene of the explosion.
“At around 0915 local time, we were slowly inching towards the heavily fortified Iraqi government compound in a column of traffic - office workers, cleaners and journalists lining up for a news conference to introduce the new members of the Supreme Court,” our correspondent said.
"The checkpoint we were queuing at was just outside the Green Zone, separated from it by concrete blocks.
“We passed a number of new Toyota pick-ups and we were just waiting for the security clearance by the gate when one of those cars exploded barely 50m behind.”
Witness Alaa Hassan was even closer to the blast and was hit by a piece of shrapnel.
‘Shrapnel rained down’
“Two cars pulled up,” he said. "One of them was a black car that drove away. The other one, a white car, exploded.
“I dropped to the ground. When I regained consciousness, I saw so many injured Iraqis, Americans and guards.”
At least four bodies were dragged from the burning wreckage, and body parts were scattered behind the concrete blast barriers
Bits of shrapnel rained down and gunfire opened up as security guards struggled to control the panic, our correspondent said.
“At least four bodies were dragged from the burning wreckage, and body parts were scattered behind the concrete blast barriers amongst bits of shrapnel from the vehicle,” Greste continued.
“US forces quickly took control of the scene, with tanks cordoning off the street while helicopters patrolled overhead and ambulances shuttled the wounded to hospital.”
Deafened passers-by and a man with blood over his chest were seen staggering from the site of the blast.
At Yarmuk hospital, family members crowded into the emergency room to see their loved ones, but guards held dozens more back.
‘Why, why?’
Some relatives screamed and hit their faces, AFP news agency said.
**“Evil America, America is evil. It’s all their fault,” women yelled. **
One teenage boy on stretcher and watched his father beating his face and shouting: “Why, why?”
Back at the scene of the blast, troops were “picking through the shrapnel and body parts”, our correspondent said.
Surveying the “devastated” area, he said there was confusion as to what the bombers target was, “or even if it was simply a generalised attack on those doing business with the new administration”.
“This is a naked aggression against the Iraqi people. We will bring these criminals to justice,” interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said, as he arrived at the scene.
Iraqi governor killed in attack](BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iraqi governor killed in attack)
Kashmula was killed on his way to Baghdad
The governor of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul has been killed in an attack, Iraqi sources have said.
An interior ministry source was quoted as saying assailants threw a hand grenade and opened fire on Usama Kashmula’s car.
One report says two people travelling with the governor on his way to Baghdad were also killed.
It comes hours after a car bomb blew up in the capital, killing at least 10 people and injuring about 40.
Gunfight
Officials said Mr Kashmula was attacked about 100 km south of Mosul.
“He was on his way to Baghdad with a security escort of four cars, when the attackers in another car pulled up beside his vehicle and threw a grenade, and then shot at his car,” an unnamed interior ministry source was quoted by Reuters as saying.
One report said four people ambushed the convoy.
Hazem Jalawi, a spokesman for the governate, told AFP news agency the attackers were killed in an ensuing gun battle with Mr Kashmula’s bodyguards.
Last month, more than 60 people were killed in a series of car bombings on a single day in Mosul.
‘Naked aggression’
The killing of Mr Kashmula came hours after a car bomb rocked Baghdad in the deadliest attack since the interim Iraqi government took office at the end of last month.
The blast happened at a pick-up and drop-off point in the area previously known as the Green Zone, the huge closed-off complex that until June was the headquarters of the US-led authorities in Iraq.
The BBC’s Peter Greste, who was in the area at the time off the blast, said a Toyota truck blew up just 50m behind him.
Pieces of shrapnel rained down and there was gunfire as security guards struggled to control the panic.
Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who visited the scene, vowed to crush those responsible for the attack.
“This is a naked aggression against the Iraqi people. We will bring these criminals to justice.”
He suggested the suspected suicide blast might have been in response to a police operation in Baghdad this week that led to the arrest of more than 500 suspects.
In western Iraq, US troops clashed with insurgents in the flashpoint Sunni city of Ramadi, about 100km (60 miles) from Baghdad, witnesses said.
One report quoted an Iraqi doctor as saying three people had been killed and 19 wounded.