At least 5 killed in bike bombing at marketplace in south Baghdad

At least five people were killed and some 20 others injured in a bike bomb explosion at a busy popular market in a town in south of Baghdad on Sunday, a local police source said.

A booby-trapped bicycle left at a crowded market in the town of Mussayab detonated at about 9:00 a.m. (0600 GMT), the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The toll could rise as many victims were transported by ambulances and civilian cars, the source said.

Iraqi security forces have cordoned off the area to secure the scene, he said.

The blast damaged several nearby stalls and shops, he added.

Mussayab, some 60 km south of Baghdad, is part of the once restive area, dubbed Triangle of Death, which is a cluster of towns scattered north of Hilla City, the capital of Babel province, some 100 km south of Baghdad.

Sporadic attacks continue in Iraq as part of recent deterioration in security which shaped a setback to the efforts of the Iraqi government to restore normalcy in the country after more than three months of U.S. troops pullout of cities and towns.

Source: Xinhua