/ 18 February 2004

Double blasts kill 11 in Iraq

At least 11 Iraqi civilians were killed on Wednesday morning when a pair of suicide bombers tried to attack a coalition base where international troops are based, a coalition spokesperson said.

The attack outside Camp Charlie in Hillah left wounded 58 coalition troops, including Hungarians, Poles and an American, and injured another 44 Iraqis. Polish General Mieczyslaw Bieniek called it a ”well-coordinated terrorist attack”.

Spokesperson Hilary White said the attack occurred near several homes located near the military camp and and the dead included men, women and children.

Earlier reports said seven Iraqis had been killed.

The suicide attack occurred outside the Polish military base in Hilla at 7.15am local time, said Lieutenant Colonel Robert Strzelecki.

He said two of the dead were apparently the drivers of explosives-laden vehicles that drove at the base. — Sapa-AP, AFP