Rush hour bomb kills 4 in Iraq

2004-06-08 07:58

Baqouba, Iraq - A suicide attacker detonated a car bomb during rush hour outside a US base on Tuesday, killing four Iraqis and injuring 12 others, police said.

Ambulances, Humvees and Iraqi police rushed to evacuate the injured at the al-Faris base, 50 kilometres north of Baghdad. American soldiers cleared the area at the former Iraqi air force facility now used by the US Army's 1st Infantry Division.

The US military confirmed an explosion, but could provide no further details.

"At rush hour, a suicide bomber blew up his Mitsubishi," said Iraqi police Second Lt Ali Hussein. "The blast led to huge damage."

The explosion occurred 10 metres away from the main gate, Hussein said. There were 12 injured and four dead, he said.

The bomb was the latest in a series of attacks on US forces and their allies in the days leading to the handover of sovereignty in Iraq on June 30

A car bomb exploded Sunday near the gate of another a US-run base north of Baghdad, killing nine people and injuring 30 others - including two American soldiers, the US military said.

- AP