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At least five killed in Baghdad explosion
At least five people people have been killed in an explosion that tore apart a crowded restaurant in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. According to Aljazeera's correspondent, Iraqi police sources said at least five people were killed in the restaurant blast late on Wednesday night which might be caused by a "suicide bomb explosion". Witnesses said the Nabil restaurant in the Arasat district of Baghdad had been destroyed and the building was in flames. At least 30 people had been inside when the bomb went off, witnesses added. Three journalists from Los Angeles Times were among the wounded. They are Tracy Wilkinson, the Times Rome bureau chief, correspondent Ann Simmons and Chris Kraul, who until recently headed the paper's Mexico City bureau. "So far it's cuts and bruises but we don't have a complete report," Times Managing Editor Dean Baquet said in Los Angeles, adding that all three had been taken to a military hospital for treatment. He said Wilkinson had called the paper and was apparently in good spirits. It is reported that the attempted bomber is still alive and a second suspect is in custody.
They said on the teevee earlier this evening that the military sez the Bad Guys plan a four or five day bombing spree. The car was packed with explosives, to include artillery shells. Restaurants aren't normally considered military targets...

Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2004-01-01
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=23639