Suicide bombing kills 3 near UN HQ in Baghdad

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, September 22, 2003

Suicide bombing kills 3 near UN HQ in Baghdad

Two security guards and the bomber were killed and 11 others injured Monday morning in a suicide bombing near the UN headquarters in Baghdad, an Iraqi policeman said.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Suicide bombing kills 2 near UN HQ in Baghdad

Two security guards and the bomber were killed and 11 others injured Monday morning in a suicide bombing near the UN headquarters in Baghdad, an Iraqi policeman said.

Among the 11 injured, seven were Iraqi policemen and the rest were civilians, Taha Muhsin told Xinhua.

He identified one of the dead policemen as Selam Mohammed, adding that they could not find the body of the other, known as Saad Fadhel Ali, and only got his identity card.

But UN spokeswoman Antonia Paradela put the death toll at two, and 17 wounded, most of whom were Iraqi security guards.

The suicide bombing attack occurred around 8:10 a.m. (0410 GMT) near the UN headquarters at the Canal Hotel, where a devastating truck bombing killed 23 people, including UN top envoy in Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello, last month.

Monday's blast went off when Iraqi policemen were searching a car and right after they lifted the engine cover for inspection, Muhsin said at the scene.

A US military spokesman said earlier that a security guard and the bomber were killed in the deadly blast.

The bomber detonated the bomb when his vehicle was being examined by an Iraqi security guard at a checkpoint as he tried to enter the UN compound, said Captain Sean Kirley.

Once he realized he wouldn't be able to get in, the bomber detonated himself somewhere 250 or 300 meters away from the UN compound, said the spokesman from the 2nd Calvary Regiment.

"He changed his target. He wasn't going to get to the UN (headquarters) so his target changed to civilians," said Kirley.

"He wasn't getting through, so he detonated the bomb at that particular point and it just happened to be a point where civilians congregated," he elaborated.

He told Xinhua that the suicide bomber appeared to be driving "a small sedan type vehicle."

Around 10 cars parking in the lot were damaged, confirmed Kirley.

Asked why there were no American casualties in the incident, Kirley said the parking area was used by "Iraqi security contingent that works here, parks in that area and is known to come and go...from work."

He told reporters that he couldn't speculate whether the driver did or didn't know there was a bomb planted in his car.

The explosion came on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which an Iraqi delegation is due to attend.

On Saturday, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council, Aquila al-Hashimi, who was to attend the UN assembly, was critically wounded when unidentified gunmen attacked her car in Baghdad.

On Aug. 19, a suicide truck bomber blew up one of the buildings at the UN compound, prompting the staff members to work in temporary tents and trailers outside the bombed site.

The world body has decided to evacuate more than half of its expatriate workers from the conflict-ravaged country since the tragedy last month.

Questions?Comments? Click here

President Hu Strongly Condemns Bombing against UN HQ in Iraq

UN HQ Bomb in Iraq Kills 20, Including Top Envoy

Chinese swiped national treasure returns home ( 6 Messages)

Chinese tourists' unsocial behavior sparks concern at home ( 2 Messages)

Chinese women changing attitudes toward sexual life: survey ( 8 Messages)

China opposes US listing of China as major drugs producer: FM spokesman ( 9 Messages)

Chinese returning from abroad encounter reverse culture shock ( 5 Messages)

Foreigners see social graces and disgraces in China ( 2 Messages)