Two die in Turkish embassy attack in Baghdad

A car bomb exploded at the gates of the Turkish embassy today, killing two people including the driver and injuring two or three others, US soldiers said.

Turkish NTV television said two embassy employees were hurt.

Witnesses said the car tried to ram through the gates of the embassy at mid-afternoon and exploded.

US troops and Iraqi police sealed off the area and would not permit journalists and others to approach the building.

In Ankara, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned the attack and said the incident showed “how grave the security situation in Iraq is” and “how strong the need is for everyone to immediately contribute to ensure security and stability in the country”.

The blast comes two days after a powerful car bomb exploded at the Baghdad Hotel, home to US officials and members of the Iraqi Governing Council. At least eight people including the bomber were killed.

Turkey’s parliament has approved a government request to send peacekeeping troops to Iraq, a move hailed in Washington but opposed by the Iraqi Governing Council and the country’s Kurdish minority.

The Turks would be the first major contingent from a Muslim country.