Baghdad Blast Kills at Least Five as South Korean Shot Dead near Basra

01/01/2004| IslamWeb

A huge blast took place in a restaurant at central Baghdad yesterday. At least five people were killed and more than 20 were wounded. Gunfire was heard after the explosion. Shortly after the blast, American troops were seen heading to the site of the explosion, and U.S. military helicopters hovered overhead, The AP reported. The bomb was hidden in shrubs outside the restaurant and went off as a U.S. military convoy passed, one report said. Other sources claimed the blast was caused by a bomber or a car bomb. The restaurant, called Nabil, had advertised a 'New Year's Eve' party with live music and belly dancing. Also Wednesday, near the southern city of Basra, a South Korean was killed in an ambush and resulting gunbattle between Romanian soldiers and Iraqi resistance fighters, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. **PHOTO CAPTION*** A US soldier looks at the destruction following a powerful explosion in Baghdad's Karrada district. (AFP/Mauricio Lima)