Roadside bomb rocks central Baghdad, two killed

A roadside bomb went off in central Baghdad on Tuesday, killed two people and wounded 19 others, an Interior Ministry source said.

The blast took place at about 10:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) near the busy commercial area of Shorjah on the east bank of Tigris River, the source said on condition of anonymity.

"We have two people killed and up to 19 others wounded," the source said.

The blast also damaged several nearby shops and civilian cars, he added.

A plume of black smoke could be seen rising over the area and sirens of Iraqi security forces and ambulances could be heard at the scene.

Earlier, three separate roadside bombs detonated in eastern Baghdad, killing nine people and wounding 11 others, police said.

A roadside bomb that blasted near a bus station in central Baghdad Tuesday morning, killing nine people and wounding eight others.

In short succession, another two roadside bombs targeted police patrols in the area, wounding three policemen.

The blasts occurred when over 50,000 Iraqi and U.S. troops have patrolled Baghdad to quell sectarian violence and insurgency in the capital since June.

Source: Xinhua