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Bomb hidden under horse cart
22/02/2008 14:06 - (SA)
Baghdad - A bomb hidden under a horse-drawn cart exploded in downtown Baghdad on Friday, killing three civilians and prompting a ban on carts in the capital.
The cart was left near a building, and the explosives apparently were detonated by remote-control at about 07:30.
The three killed included a street sweeper, police said, adding the six people also were wounded who gave the casualty toll.
Three cars parked nearby were damaged and AP Television News footage showed the dead horse lying on its side surrounded by rubble.
Shortly after the blast, Iraqi authorities announced a ban on carts on the streets of Baghdad.
"These methods began to be used by terrorists and criminal gangs," said Husham al-Rikabi, a deputy spokesperson for the Iraqi military in Baghdad.
A booby-trapped car being towed by police also blew up in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, killing two policemen and wounding four others, police said.
Police said they were removing the car after it was found parked near a market pockmarked with bullet holes and with bloodstained seats.
The explosion occurred about 08:00 as it was being pulled into the parking lot of the local police headquarters, officials said.
Tikrit is 130km north of Baghdad. The police officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to release the information.
Nobody claimed responsibility for the attacks. The US military has warned suspected Sunni insurgents led by al-Qaeda are seeking new ways to avoid stepped-up security measures that have dampened their ability to stage high-profile car bombings and suicide attacks.
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