40 dead in Ramadan rampage
2003-10-27 14:52
The deadly bomb blasts that rocked Baghdad on the first morning of the Muslim holy month are now thought to have killed up to 40 people, claim the latest reports.
The attacks began when a suicide bomber driving an ambulance detonated the device at the gates of the Red Cross headquarters in the Iraqi capital, killing 12 people.
Most of those killed were Iraqis.
Then, four other vehicles blew up at police stations across the Baghdad area.
The blasts left the streets filled with bloody bodies and twisted, burning cars. Ambulances with their sirens wailing have been criss-crossing the city.
Iraqi police told officers were able to stop a suicide bomber at a fifth police station in central Baghdad. One officer told reporters the would-be bomber was shouting, "Death to the Iraqi police! You're collaborators!"
The US military confirmed that an American soldier was killed in one of the car bombings at a police station, according to AP reports.
A separate mortar attack on American troops west of Baghdad killed two soldiers and injured two more, reported Sky News.
The attacks are thought to represent the single biggest day of casualties in attacks on the US-led coalition in Iraq since the official end of the war on May 1.
The wave of attacks came on the first day of the Muslim holy festival Ramadan and prompted speculation from one Iraqi deputy minister that Saddam Hussein was behind them.
Sky News defence expert Francis Tusa said all the explosions were on the west side of the Tigris river, suggesting the attacks were carried out by pro-Saddam supporters.
Black day for Baghdad
Lieutenant Colonel David Reynolds said: "This is a black day for Baghdad.
"Committed terrorists prepared to give their lives are very difficult to stop. These people have refused to accept that Iraq is free."
In Geneva, United Nations aid agencies said they were shocked by the bombings, but not surprised.
Agencies said it's unlikely that they will scale back their operations after the latest attack, because they have already done so.