Mosque bomb death toll rises to 75

A truck bomb struck a Shiite mosque today in central Baghdad, killing 75 Iraqis and wounding more than 200.

Police and hospital officials said at least 75 people were killed and 204 were wounded as a truck bomb struck a Shiite mosque in central Baghdad today.

They added that the toll could rise as bodies were pulled from the debris.

The thunderous explosion at the Khillani mosque in the capital's commercial area of Sinak sent smoke billowing over concrete buildings.

On Sunday, officials lifted a curfew aimed at preventing retaliatory violence after last week's bombing of a Shiite mosque in Samarra.

Gunfire erupted shortly after the blast, which a police officer said went off near the Khillani mosque in the commercial area of Sinak.

A police officer said the truck that exploded was parked near the mosque and it damaged the outer wall of the building.