Bomb blast hits US military convoy

A car bomb exploded early today near a US military convoy on the road leading to Baghdad airport, Iraqi police said.

US troops immediately sealed off the area, said Lt Saad el-Azzawi. He said it was not immediately clear whether the blast caused any casualties.

But Fadhil Jawad, who said he saw the attack from his home near the site of the attack, said the explosion destroyed two of the six Humvees in the convoy. He said two Blackhawk helicopters arrived immediately after and evacuated a number of wounded soldiers.

The US military had no immediate comment.

The highway leading from downtown to the international airport is considered one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Iraq for US troops. Insurgents regularly target military convoys and combat patrols on the busy thoroughfare, which cuts through central Baghdad.

On Saturday, another bomb detonated near two armoured buses on the road, damaging both but causing no casualties.