Thursday, April 12, 2007
Bomb rocks Iraq's parliament in the Green Zone
Security, Politics
(AP, Agencies) - A bomb rocked a cafeteria inside Iraq's parliament building in the heavily fortified Green Zone Thursday, killing a Sunni lawmaker and wounding many people, a parliament official said. The explosion took place while several lawmakers were eating lunch, said Mohammed Abu Bakr, who heads the media department at the parliament. Al-Jazeera television reported that Muhammad Awadh of the National Dialogue Block, had been killed in the blast and at least five members of the Accord Front block were injured.
"Several people were wounded, including members of parliament and some employees," Abu Bakr said. Initial media reports said at least four people were wounded. Al-Arabiyah television said a member of parliament was killed. A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, which is also in the Green Zone, said no Americans were injured in the blast. A security official at the parliament building said a second lawmaker, a Shiite member, also was killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
"We are aware of reports of an explosion in the Green Zone. We are investigating the nature and source of the explosion," spokesman Lou Fintor said. "No Embassy employees or U.S. citizens were affected." Mobile telephones and landlines in central Baghdad around the Green Zone, which is home to the parliament complex, did not appear to be in service after the blast.
The US military said it was tracking media reports of a blast inside the sprawling Green Zone compound, also home to the Iraqi government and foreign embassies. Militants have rarely managed to penetrate the various checkpoints and carry out attacks. Recently, the U.S. military said two suicide vests had been found inside the zone, a sprawling area that comprises many government buildings and the U.S. embassy. Attempts to reach dozens of lawmakers by telephone were unsuccessful.
"Several people were wounded, including members of parliament and some employees," Abu Bakr said. Initial media reports said at least four people were wounded. Al-Arabiyah television said a member of parliament was killed. A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, which is also in the Green Zone, said no Americans were injured in the blast. A security official at the parliament building said a second lawmaker, a Shiite member, also was killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
"We are aware of reports of an explosion in the Green Zone. We are investigating the nature and source of the explosion," spokesman Lou Fintor said. "No Embassy employees or U.S. citizens were affected." Mobile telephones and landlines in central Baghdad around the Green Zone, which is home to the parliament complex, did not appear to be in service after the blast.
The US military said it was tracking media reports of a blast inside the sprawling Green Zone compound, also home to the Iraqi government and foreign embassies. Militants have rarely managed to penetrate the various checkpoints and carry out attacks. Recently, the U.S. military said two suicide vests had been found inside the zone, a sprawling area that comprises many government buildings and the U.S. embassy. Attempts to reach dozens of lawmakers by telephone were unsuccessful.
Labels: explosion, Green Zone, Iraq's parliament, Iraqi Accord Front, Muhammad Awadh, National Dialogue Block
