Baghdad Airport attack wounds 11

Insurgents fired at least 10 mortar rounds at a US base on the outskirts of Baghdad International Airport today, wounding 11 soldiers, two of them seriously, and starting a fire that burned for well over an hour.

Elsewhere, a car bomb exploded outside the headquarters of the provincial police force in Samawah, 150 miles south of Baghdad, police said. Two people were wounded in the blast, which set two other vehicles ablaze.

Guerrillas struck the logistics base on the edge of Baghdad’s airport at about 8.15am, said Lieut Colonel Richard Rael.

“We’re OK,” Rael said. “We’ll get back to business as usual.”

A pall of black smoke hung over the airport for an hour after one of the 82 mm mortar rounds struck a petroleum products yard. There were no injuries from the fire.

The base has been subject to almost daily mortar attacks, but this was the first time the attacks caused significant casualties and damage.

The attack came only days after the US coalition authorities handed over sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government.

American officials have warned that the transfer of sovereignty would not stop assaults.