June 25, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 20, 1429

BAGHDAD, June 24: A massive bomb ripped through a municipal office in Baghdad’s on Tuesday, killing four Americans, an Italian and six Iraqis, officials said.

The devastating attack which the US military blamed on Shia extremists occurred mid-morning shortly before district council elections were to take place, an Iraqi security official said.

One US soldier, three members of the district council and seven other Iraqis were wounded in the blast, which caused large destruction in the building, US military and Iraqi security officials said.

The American military said it detained a suspect soon after the attack.

“The individual was caught by coalition forces fleeing the scene and tested positive for explosive residue,” a military statement said.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Berlin that the incident was “a terrible reminder of the dangers” faced by Americans working in Iraq.

US ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker in a statement said one American employee Steven Farley of the State Department who was involved in reconstruction work in Sadr City was killed along with two civilian employees of the Defence Department.

The Defence Department employees were an American national and an Italian citizen of Iraqi origin, US embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said.

They all were attached to the American mission in Baghdad.

The US military said two of its soldiers were killed in the blast and charged that the attack was carried out by Special Groups extremists.

According to the military, Special Groups militants are trained, funded and armed by groups linked to Iran.

The blast occurred at about 9:30 am (0630 GMT) in the southern section of Sadr City, a stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia.

It took place when US officials and soldiers had arrived “to supervise the process of elections as the council was to elect some new members today,” a council member said.

“We were to elect new members to replace some of our old colleagues from the movement of Moqtada al-Sadr who recently left the council,” he said on condition of anonymity.

A police officer from Sadr City, who asked not to be named, said the bomb “must have been planted yesterday (Monday) as the council building had been completely secured since the morning.” US troops quickly cordoned off the area surrounding the council offices, while Iraqi police sealed all the roads leading to the building.—AFP