BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) – A car bomb exploded outside an Iraqi National Guard headquarters in a city south of the capital Saturday, killing one person and wounding 22, hospital officials said.
Ambulances raced to the scene and police cordoned off the area in Mahmudiyah, 20 miles south of Baghdad.
The explosion occurred at about 7:45 a.m. while prospective recruits were waiting to get into the headquarters, said Dr. Dawoud Jassim Taie, director of the Mahmudiyah Hospital. Six of those wounded were National Guard troops while the rest were prospective recruits, he said.
National Guard troops became suspicious of a parked car near the first checkpoint and opened fire, said one officer, who declined to be named. The bomb went off at about 30 feet away from the first checkpoint.
The wounded were transported to Mahmudiyah Hospital, but were expected to be later taken to Baghdad’s Yarmouk Hospital for further treatment, Taie said.
Insurgents have repeatedly targeted police and security officials in Iraq, because they are seen as being collaborators with the Americans.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.