Assessment on Baghdad's explosion is still contradictory, two persons killed in a hotel explosion in al-Basra
Iraq-USA, Military, 3/19/2004

Iraqi security sources said that two persons were killed while a third was wounded in a car explosion near one hotel in al-Basra city to the south of Iraq. Witnesses, however, said that the explosion resulted in killing four persons and wounding other two.

Worthy mentioning that al-Buraq hotel which was targeted by the explosion is used as a headquarters for press conferences held by the British forces responsible for keeping security in al-Basra, the largest cities of southern Iraq.

This, however, comes at a time when news are contradictory over the number of the victims of the explosion which targeted Jabal Lubnan ( Mount Lebanon) hotel in al-Karrada area in the downtown of Baghdad.

While the occupation forces issued a new statistics that talked about the killing of 17 persons including one Britain and wounding other 35, the Iraqi minister of the interior talked about the killing of only 6 persons, they are one Britain and five Iraqis noting that the incident is a result of a booby trapped car.

However, one American military spokesman stressed that the incident is a result of a suicide operation, noting that it is similar to the attack which was carried out in front of a center for recruitment in Baghdad on February 11 and resulted in killing more than 50 Iraqis.

The American administration and the Interim Governing Council held al-Qaida organization responsible for the attack.

In what seems an attempt to restore back the deteriorated security situation in Iraq, news reports quoted a high ranking military official in the occupation authority as saying that the Iraqi defense ministry will be brought back on April 15.

The official added that this ministry which was abrogated after the collapse of the former regime will be run by civilians and that the British N. Foster, deputy commander of the coalition forces will be assigned to supervise training of the new Iraqi army.

The American civil administrator of Iraq Paul Bremer desolved the Iraqi ministry of defense in May, 2003.

On the other hand, a spokesman for the occupation army said that one American soldier from the Marines forces was killed and other three wounded in an attack by mortars shelling in al-Quseiba town on the Syrian- Iraqi borders.

On the other hand, medical sources in Baghdad said that three journalists in Deyali TV were killed and other 10 wounded in an attack that targeted a bus carrying them to the south of Bahruz area in Baqouba city where the TV studios are located, run by the city's municipal council which gets support from the occupation authorities.

In Karkouk, the Iraqi police announced the killing of two persons while they were trying to implant explosives at a strategic bridge on al-Zaab river to the northern east of Karkouk. The bridge is situated on the main road between Karkouk and al-Musil and usually trodden by American army vehicles and trucks coming from Turkey and Syria.

Previous Stories:
  International Symposium on 'Arabs after war on Iraq' wrapped up   (3/18/2004)
  Kuwait calls for the execution of Saddam Hussein   (3/17/2004)
  Four American missionaries, one German, one Dutch were killed; Bremer to Kurds: Saddam will pay for Halabja massacre   (3/17/2004)
  Three Americans killed;, Arab member in Karkouk assassinated, Iran denies border clashes with Americans   (3/16/2004)
  Two Iraqis, nine Iraqis were killed in different clashes in Iraq; Governing council: Saddam's trial will be purely Iraqi   (3/11/2004)
  Four Iraqis killed in Musil; Baghdad: American soldier killed   (3/10/2004)

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