Iraq: Two car bombs hit Baghdad's Green Zone

Two car bombs have exploded near a security checkpoint at Baghdad's Green Zone, during the morning rush hour, killing and injuring a number of people. Iraqi soldiers were reportedly among the casualties, the number of victims is yet to be determined.

Baghdad's security spokesman Maj Gen Qassim Al-Moussawi said two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a line of vehicles queuing at the western entry to the Green Zone, the location of government buildings and foreign embassies.

Al-Moussawi noted that both cars were filled with heavy duty explosives, and went off near two motorcades carrying a senior army commander and an official with Iraq's presidential council, but gave no further details to confirm whether or not the officials were the targets of the attack.

Iraq's Parliament issued a statement saying one of the explosions hit the motorcade of Amjad Abdul Hameed adviser to parliamentary speaker Osama al-Nujaifi. The statement went on to say that Hameed did not sustain any injuries but that one of his bodyguards was killed and three others were wounded.

Sources: BBC, Reuters, Adnkronos International English, Newsday

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