Suicide bombers kill 43 in police academy attack

TWO men strapped with explosives detonated them at Baghdad’s police academy today, killing at least 43 people and wounding 73 more, officials said, while al-Jazeera broadcast an insurgent video of a man purported to be a US security consultant.

The men were wearing explosive-laden vests and a US contractor was among those wounded, a US military statement said. US forces rushed to the scene to provide assistance, the statement said. The military retracted an earlier statement that the bombers were women.

“We were sitting in the yard when we heard an explosion,” said police major Wisam al-Heyali. “Seconds later, we were hit by another explosion as we were running. I saw some of my colleagues falling down and I felt my hand hit, but I kept on running.”