At least 18 killed in Baghdad explosions

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, October 27, 2003

At least 18 killed in Baghdad explosions

At least 18 people were killed, most of them Iraqis, and a dozen of others were wounded, in a series of explosions that rocked the Iraqi capital of Baghdad Monday morning.

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At least 18 people were killed, most of them Iraqis, and a dozen of others were wounded, in a series of explosions that rocked the Iraqi capital of Baghdad Monday morning.

The first explosion occurred at about 8: 30 a.m. (0530 GMT) outside the International Committee of the Red Cross building in the Central District. Up to 10 Iraqis were killed and 10 more others were injured in the bombing which was caused by an Iraqi hospital ambulance that rammed into a barricade in front of the building.

The explosion set two cars on fire and sent black smoke billowing into the air.

US Helicopters were hovering overhead while rescuing ambulanceswere screaming to the chaotic scene. US troops cordoned off the area and police scattered spectators gathered near the damaged building.

About 20 minutes later, a second explosion was heard near the oil ministry building in Khadamiyah on the east side of the Tigrisriver. No casualties from this explosion are available so far.

Minutes later, a third large explosion occurred near a police station in Hadra district in western Baghdad at about 9:05 a.m. (0605 GMT).

A police named Hassan told a Xinhua correspondent at the scene that two policemen and one civilian were killed in this attack. Five other policemen and three civilians were injured.

Five cars were seen smoldering in flames and houses nearby weredefaced, windows shattered. It was not immediately known what triggered the explosion.

There were at least two more blasts in other parts of the capital the same day. The explosions plunged the city into fear and chaos on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.

The blasts also came a day after a barrage of rockets pounded acental Baghdad hotel housing a top US defense official, killing a US soldier and wounding 17 others.

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