Six dead in Iraqi car bomb blast

A suicide car bomb exploded in a busy commercial neighbourhood of central Baghdad today, killing six people and wounding 22, police said.

The powerful blast set fire to many cars parked in the area and damaged some shops, said police Maj. Abbas Mohammed Salman, who gave the casualty figures.

The explosion sent a huge plume of black smoke up into the sky, and television footage from the scene showed the remains of several bodies lying in Tahrir Square.

An official at the nearby al-Kindi Hospital said it received two bodies and 16 wounded victims, and that other hospitals also had received casualties.

The attack apparently targeted a small convoy of vehicles driving through the area, said a reporter at the scene.

The explosion happened at about 11.10am (8.10am Irish time) in Tahrir Square, well known for its shops and a large statue of several Iraqi soldiers breaking through chains to freedom.

The US military said it had heard the blast, but had no immediate information about the exact location or cause.