In a bold attack on the compound housing the United States and Iraqi government headquarters, insurgents penetrated Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone and set off bombs at a market and a popular café on Thursday, killing seven people, including two Americans, the United States military said.
The US military said the bombs appeared to have been “hand-carried” into the zone. If so, it would be the first time insurgents have successfully infiltrated and set off bombs in the heart of the US-Iraqi leadership of the country.
The attack raised fears over security in the compound — where the US embassy and Iraqi government offices are located — and underscored militants’ ability to strike in the capital even as US-Iraqi forces are carrying out a new offensive to suppress them in other parts of the country.
A thick column of black smoke rose over the central Baghdad neighbourhood after the blasts.
A US military statement said seven people were killed in the two blasts, including two Americans. The statement revised an earlier count of eight dead. — Sapa-AP
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