115 die in suicide blast

A suicide car bomber blew himself up today in a crowd of Iraqis seeking work in the police and national guard, killing at least 115 people.

The blast, the single bloodiest attack since the fall of Saddam Hussein, happened outside a medical centre in Hillah, south of Baghdad, as the recruits queued for medical checks.

Police said several people have been arrested in connection with the explosion, which was so large it damaged nearby shops and parked cars. Bystanders helped emergency crews clear dozens of bodies, body parts and piles of tattered clothing.

Twenty miles away at a police checkpoint in Musayyib, a second car bombing killed one policeman and wounded several more.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw today issued a blunt warning to Syria over its support for Palestinian terrorist groups. Israel has blamed Syria for last week's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv which left four dead.

Mr Straw said Damascus had "a lot of work to do" to convince the international community about Syria's commitment to Middle East security. "There's growing concern about the fact that some of these rejectionist terrorist groups continue to operate from within Syria," he said. He spoke on the eve of the London Middle East peace summit, to be attended by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, UN General Secretary Kofi Annan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.