The Palestine Hotel, which houses many foreign journalists in Iraq, has been hit in a rocket-and-car bomb attack, killing at least 11 people and causing considerable damage to the hotel, Iraqi police and journalists say.

Associated Press Television News pictures on Monday showed a huge explosion on the northwest side of Firdous Square, adjacent to the hotel.

An AP photographer at a checkpoint at the northwest corner of the hotel said at least three fellow photographers from other media were injured and taken away by ambulance.

Two AP television personnel inside the hotel suffered minor injuries.

It did not appear that the car bombers managed to penetrate the high concrete blast walls around the Palestine Hotel, which was last hit by a rocket attack on 7 October 2004.

There was considerable damage to the windows and rooms on the south side of the 19-storey hotel. TV pictures showed a huge cloud of smoke rising from the scene and debris falling from the building.

After the bombing, Iraqi forces opened up with heavy automatic weapons fire, apparently firing at random. There was no sign of a further assault on the hotel.

Major Abbas Mohammed Suleiman said the hotel compound was hit by rockets and car bombs.

The Associated Press journalists had to evacuate their bureau in the hotel and take refuge in the corridor.

Inside the hotel, light fixtures were blown down, pictures were blasted off the walls and windows were shattered.

PHOTO CAPTION

A huge explosion is seen in downtown Baghdad. (AP)