A suicide car bomb exploded at an Iraqi army recruitment centre in Baghdad this morning, killing 47 people and taking the 24-hour death toll in attacks against Iraqis working with the US occupation close to 100.
"It was a suicide attack by a single male," US Colonel Ralph Baker said at the scene. Most of the victims were newly-recruited soldiers reporting for duty.
"It was aimed strictly at Iraqis," Col Baker said, adding the car was laden with 300-500 pounds of plastic explosives mixed with artillery shells to maximise the "kill effect".
Around 50 people were killed yesterday in a similar attack on Iraqis outside a police station south of Baghdad.
The US military said today's attack occurred at around 7.40 a.m. (4.40 a.m. Irish time) when a car drove into the new Iraqi army facility in central Baghdad and exploded.
"We were standing in line waiting to start our shift in the new army and we saw a white car drive by us and then blow up. Many died. There were about 400 people in line," said Mr Ghassan Samir, one of four wounded at Yarmuk hospital.
US troops cordoned off the area known as Muthana Airport, a small air facility abandoned for decades but recently used by the new Iraqi army.
"I was driving and just 10 metres in front of me, a car was driving slowly, suddenly he exploded...I hit a tree," said Mr Mohammad Jassim.
Yesterday's suicide car bomb exploded among civilians queueing outside a police station in the town of Iskandariya, 25 miles south of the capital, to apply for jobs. At least 75 people were wounded and the police station and an adjacent court were badly damaged.