Blast hits US HQ in Baghdad
2004-06-13 08:46
Baghdad - An explosion on Sunday hit Saddam Hussein's former main palace in Baghdad, now used by the US-coalition, in the first such direct strike but no casualties were immediately reported, officials said.
A rocket or a mortar struck the roof of the Republican Palace, causing minor damage, said an official working for the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority, which occupies the heavily-fortified Green Zone where the grand building in situated.
A second foreigner, who was in the palace at the time of the attack, said the blast broke several windows.
"When you walk around the area it is a mess," he said, adding, "I do not see any ambulances, however, which is a good sign."
The US military said that a suspected rocket hit the coalition's Green Zone at 08:35.
A US military official told AFP that a team was on the scene and as of yet there were no reports of casualties or damage.
Insurgents fighting the US-led occupation of Iraq frequently target the Green Zone - the coalition's headquarters in the centre of Baghdad - with mortar rounds and rocket propelled grenades.
They had, until now, failed to hit Saddam's main palace, which is occupied by the coalition and will be partly used by US embassy workers following the transfer of sovereignty to an Iraqi interim government on June 30.
- AFP