Saturday 12 February 2005, 14:42 Makka Time, 11:42 GMT
According to various sources, eighteen people were killed and at least 25 wounded when a car bomb exploded in the town of Musayyib, a mixed Shia-Sunni area about 100 km south of the capital, on Saturday morning.
The hospital director in the city of Hilla said that there were three police officers among the victims.
The booby-trapped car was parked just in front of the building.
The Police Lieutenant Muhammad Tamimi declared,"Most of the victims are people who were heading to the hospital or to the headquarters of the local council."
Apparently some of the wounded people suffered from heart attacks due to the loud detonation.
Talib al-Janabi , an Iraqi reporter, said that the hospital and some cars nearby were seriosuly damaged because of the blast and that Iraqi police forces cordoned off the area while US helicopters immediately came over the explosion site.
Il Romanaccio at 2:58 PM