BAGHDAD, 15 July 2004 — Assailants gunned down the Mosul governor and two of his bodyguards and a suicide car bomb killed 11 people outside the Iraqi government’s compound here yesterday in the most serious strikes since the return of sovereignty.
Speaking to reporters as he toured the site of the Baghdad carnage, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said: “This is a naked aggression against the Iraqi people. We will bring these criminals to justice.”
The bomb blast occurred at 9:15 a.m. (0515 GMT) near the heavily guarded entrance to Iraq’s main government offices in the central Baghdad compound known as the Green Zone that also houses the US Embassy.
“We believe it was a suicide bombing,” said US Col. Mike Murray, adding that an American soldier was among the 40 injured.
The attack killed three national guardsmen and seven civilians, according to the Iraqi Interior Ministry. It was not clear if the toll counted the bomber.
The vehicle was packed with 300 to 320 kilograms (660 to 700 pounds) of explosive material, a police officer said. Black smoke billowed into the air above the blast site, crammed with cars of people traveling to the compound, and sirens wailed as ambulances sped in and out of the carnage ferrying the injured and dead to nearby hospitals.
“We think this is a response to recent arrests in the last couple of days,” Allawi said, apparently referring to a police sweep in the capital on Monday that snared more than 525 suspected outlaws.
“We have caught some prominent criminals. They are under investigation. They are cooperating and have been divulging important information (on criminal activities),” the premier said.
Allawi is struggling to restore security to the war-ravaged country after the US-led coalition handed over control to him on June 28.
Last Wednesday his government passed a tough security law that arms the premier with a range of new powers such as declaring a state of emergency, slapping down curfews and restricting movement to control the lawlessness that has raged since the US-led invasion more than 15 months ago.
He has yet to flex these new muscles and it is unclear how he would pull off a major offensive against the insurgents without major US support.
The rebels delivered a second blow to Allawi yesterday as Mosul Gov. Osama Kachmula and two of his bodyguards were gunned down by four attackers while traveling south to Baghdad, a spokesman for the governorate said.
In an exchange of fire after the convoy escorting Kachmula was ambushed, the four assailants were also shot dead.
The attack was the second assassination in two days. In Baghdad, unknown gunmen shot dead Sabir Karim, a director general at the Industry Ministry, on Tuesday as he left his home to go to work, a spokesman said. Insurgents have murdered dozens of Iraqi government employees as part of their campaign against the post-Saddam Hussein political order.
— Additional input from agencies
