65 dead, 138 wounded in Baghdad University blast

Explosions rocked a Baghdad university as students were leaving at the end of classes today, killing at least 65 people and wounding at least 138, police and hospital officials said.

There were conflicting reports about the nature of the explosions. Some police said two minibuses waiting to take students home after the day of classes exploded at 3:45pm on the grounds of Al-Mustansiriya University in north-central Baghdad.

Another police official blamed the explosion on a suicide car bomber.

Nearby vehicles, including other buses waiting to take students to their homes, were destroyed. Windows were blown out of homes hundreds of yards from the blast site.

About 45 minutes later, gunmen in a minivan and on two motorcycles opened fire on an outdoor market in a mainly Shiite neighbourhood in nearby section of eastern Baghdad, police said. At least 11 people were killed and five wounded in that attack.