Car bomb kills 9 in Baghdad market

Baghdad: A car bomb struck a market district during rush hour in central Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least nine people and wounding 17, police said.

The car was parked in a lot above a row of stores near the busy Rusafi square when it exploded about 9 a.m., a police officer said, giving the casualty toll on condition of
anonymity because he wasn't authorised to release the information.

A huge fire broke out in the seven-story building and smoke billowed into the air.

Nobody claimed responsibility for the attack, but the US military has warned it expects Sunni insurgents to try to upstage a September progress report due to be delivered by
top commander Gen. David Petraeus and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker.

The blast occurred in an area full of food vendors, as well as stores selling clothes, leather bags and shoes.