BAGHDAD, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Fifty-five people were killed and at least 160 others injured in a motor-cycle bomb explosion Wednesday in Baghdad, a local police source said.
The blast occurred at a pet market in Baghdad's largely Shi'ite dominated Sadr City Wednesday night, when a motor-cycle loaded with bomb hidden under vegetable and fruits was detonated, the police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
![]() |
An Iraqi soldier stands guard in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, June. 24, 2009. |
The blast scene has been cordoned off and the wounded are being transferred to local hospitals for treatment. Investigation into the case also started, the source added.
The explosion -- one of the most fatal so far this year – came just six days before U.S. combat troops are due to withdraw from Iraqi towns and cities, raising fear of a rebound of terror attacks at a time when Iraqi security forces finally struggle to stand on its own.