Car Bomb Kills 7 Iraqi Kids, U.S. Soldier
Jul 13, 6:24 AM (ET)
By BASSEM MROUE

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A suicide car bomber drove up to a U.S. military Humvee swarming with Iraqi children and detonated his explosive on Wednesday, killing one American soldier and at least seven Iraqi children, the U.S. military said. Iraqi officials put the death toll as high as 24.

Three American soldiers and "multiple Iraqi civilians" were wounded in the late morning blast, a statement from Task Force Baghdad said. The explosion also set a nearby house on fire, the statement added.

"The Task Force Baghdad unit on the site reported that the vehicle, laden with explosives, drove up to a Humvee before detonating," the statement said. "Many Iraqi civilians, mostly children, were around the Humvee at the time of the blast."

Police have reports that 24 were killed and 18 wounded, police Lt. Mohammed al-Heiali said. Another police officer, Lt. Ali Abbas, said that 19 bodies, including 11 children. were brought to al-Kindi Hospital.

The attack left the east Baghdad neighborhood stunned. An elderly woman dressed in traditional black beat her chest in front of her house in grief.

Abbas Ali Jassim, who lives in the area, said a U.S. patrol entered the neighborhood and "children started running behind it when the explosion occurred."
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