Baghdad car bomb kills nine

A parked car bomb exploded in a crowded area near a medical complex in Baghdad today, killing at least nine people and wounding more than 30, officials said. It was the latest in an increase in violence in the heart of the Iraqi capital.

Elsewhere in the capital, a roadside bomb targeted an Iraqi army patrol at a junction in a north-eastern neighbourhood, killing one civilian and wounding eight other people, including six soldiers and two civilians, police said.

The bombings came two days after an explosion struck Baghdad's pet market, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in the deadliest attack in the centre of the city in more than two months.

The US military has blamed an Iranian-backed Shiite cell for Friday's attack, saying it appeared the attackers wanted people to believe that the bomb, packed with ball-bearings to maximise casualties, was the work of al-Qaida in Iraq so that residents would turn to Shiite militias for protection.

Tehran rejected the claim today.

"Contradictory reports have been heard about the bombing. But remarks by the Americans were made with the aim of making propaganda against Iran," Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters in his weekly news conference in Tehran.

The US has accused of Iran of training and arming Shiite militias in Iraq.

Military officials recently have expressed cautious hope that Tehran would honour a pledge to stop the flow of weapons but said they were taking a "wait-and-see" approach. Iran has consistently denied the allegations.

One of Iraq's most influential Shiite politicians defended Iran in strongly worded remarks today.

"These are only accusations raised by the multinational forces and I think these accusations need more proof," said Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the largest Shiite party in Iraq.

Mr Al-Hakim has long ties with Iran and is one of its staunchest supporters in Iraq, but he also has been a major partner in US efforts to build a democratic system after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.

His remarks were among the strongest to date that appeared to suggest Shiite support for Iran amid US and regional concerns about its influence over its neighbour as various parties jockey for power with an eye toward the eventual withdrawal of American forces.

Mr Al-Hakim, who heads the Supreme Islamic Iraq Council, noted Iran has long stated during meetings with officials "that their true will is to support the Iraqi government and to support stability and security in Iraq and to stand by the Iraqi people".

"They have a long history of standing by the Iraqi people and that is their official stance that is presented to the press without any hesitation," he said at a joint news conference with Shiite Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi.

His remarks came days after he returned from Iran, where he has been periodically undergoing treatment for lung cancer.

The two rivals have agreed to hold a fourth ambassador-level round of talks on security in Iraq, but no date has been set.

"We will work for the success of these talks so they will go well and the conclusions be positive and of benefit for all and in particular the Iraqi people," Mr al-Hakim said.

The deadliest attack today occurred about 9:30am in the central Bab al-Muadham neighbourhood, a busy area that is the site of the Health Ministry and the central morgue as well as university institutes and a major bus terminal.

An official at the local Medical City Hospital said the explosives-laden car had been left in a car park near the complex. He said the victims largely suffered from severe burns.

AP Television News footage showed US soldiers examining the crumpled wreckage from the car bomb, with pools of blood and debris scattered on the ground.

Police and hospital officials said a medical assistant and a female lab worker were among the nine killed, while the 31 wounded included two Iraqi soldiers and two women.

American and Iraqi commanders have warned extremists still pose a threat to Iraq's fragile security despite the downturn in violence since a US-Iraqi security plan began in mid-February.

A US military spokesman, Rear Admiral Gregory Smith, said on Saturday that four members of an Iranian-backed Shiite cell had confessed to the bombing of the al-Ghazl pet market in central Baghdad.

Smith stressed he was not blaming Tehran as the military has not determined whether recent acts of violence are based on past or current support by Iran.