Suicide blast hits council meeting in Baghdad

Baghdad: A suicide bomber killed six Iraqis and four American at a council meeting in the Baghdad stronghold of Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr on Tuesday, police said.

A local policeman said the blast occurred shortly after 9 am near the deputy council chief's office as Americans approached.

Two US soldiers and two civilians were killed, the US military said.

One of the civilians worked for the US State Department, while the other was employed by the Department of Defence, a US embassy spokeswoman said.

A member of Sadr City's local council said the explosion went off inside the room of the deputy head of the council.

Police said the deputy was among the wounded.

Seven civilians were injured also, police said.