Toll in suicide car bomb targeting Baghdad police office rises to 18

Toll in Baghdad car bomb rises to 18 dead

BAGHDAD — A suicide car bomber has killed at least 18 and injured dozens more in a strike against Interior Ministry offices in central Baghdad.

Tuesday’s atatck comes a day after several hotels were also hit by suicide attacks, officials said.

Rescue crews are still combing through the rubble looking for casualties. Officials say the majority of those killed were likely police officers worked in the crime lab at Tahariyat Square in the central neighborhood of Karradah.

This week’s bombings — all against prominent and heavily fortified targets — dealt yet another blow to an Iraqi government struggling to answer for security lapses that have allowed bombers to carry out a number of massive attacks in the heart of the capital since August.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide car bomber killed at least six Tuesday in a strike against Interior Ministry offices in central Baghdad, a day after several hotels were hit by suicide attacks, officials said.

This week’s bombings — all against prominent and heavily fortified targets — dealt yet another blow to an Iraqi government struggling to answer for security lapses that have allowed bombers to carry out a number of massive attacks in the heart of the capital since August.

Police and hospital officials said the bomber in Tuesday’s attack tried to drive through a checkpoint and blast walls protecting the criminal evidence offices at Tahariyat Square in the central neighborhood of Karradah.

The officials said those killed included two police officers and a civilian. They say at least 26 people were wounded.

Shortly after the bombing, rescue teams in blue jumpsuits combed through the debris of the partially damaged three-story building as a crane removed some of the 10-foot, 7-ton concert blast walls toppled by the blast.

The office targeted in the attack mainly deals with data collected during criminal investigations, including finger prints and other pieces of evidence. The office is located next to the Interior Ministry’s major crimes office, which deals with terrorism cases.

Government offices have been frequent targets of major attacks in the capital since blasts struck the foreign and finance ministries in August, raising questions about the ability of Iraqi security forces to keep the country safe. While the criminal evidence offices have not been targeted by a major suicide bombing before, attackers have struck nearby.

The attack destroyed rooms on the ground floor of the building and damaged parts of the second floor, raising fears the number of casualties could grow, a police officer on the scene said.

The office is surrounded by low-rise buildings that contain shops, takeaway restaurants and offices that were also damaged.

Tuesday’s attack comes one day after a series of bombings targeting hotels favored by Westerners.

The toll from those blasts continued to rise, with 41 people confirmed killed and up to 106 reported injured, police and health officials said Tuesday.

The bombings Monday targeted the Sheraton Ishtar Hotel, Babylon Hotel and Hamra Hotel, which are popular with Western journalists and foreign security contractors.

All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details.

Associated Press Writers Hamid Ahmed and Sinan Salaheddin contributed to this report.