Baghdad lorry bomb kills 12

A lorry bomb exploded outside the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad today killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 30.

The blast happened shortly before lunchtime and devastated the main building in the Mansour district of the Iraqi capital, as well as destroying many cars.

Witnesses spoke of a "huge ball of flame" which engulfed both embassy staff and cars in the compound areas.

Rescuers fear many more bodies could be found inside the building, which is in danger of collapse. Iraqi police captain Ahmad Suleiman said the dead included four civilians in a car and five policemen on duty outside the complex.

Suyf Khamel, 25, was in his garden opposite the embassy, which is close to the main expressway to the Jordanian border. He said: "There was a massive ball of flames and it seemed to pull bodies towards it. I saw at least 15 people who were wrapped up in it.

"At first I could not move, I was so shocked. I was also frightened but then I ran across the road and began to help the injured. There were four of them who came into my house and they were bleeding from serious cuts.

"One of them was very badly hurt and I didn't think he stood any chance of living."

There were also reports that at least one passing UN vehicle, a blue Land Cruiser, was caught in the fireball.

Another witness, Rita al Souhail, was in a house next to the embassy visiting her son at the time of the blast. She said: "It was massive, louder than anything you experienced during the war. I went upstairs to my son's house and it was destroyed, there was nothing left."

Guards at the Jordanian embassy were reported to have opened fire on a lorry shortly before the explosion.

There were other reports of a US military helicopter arriving on the scene and firing at least one missile immediately before the attack.

One man at the scene, Abdullah Tormri, said the blast was "a revenge attack" on the Jordanians-"There are many Iraqis who are angry with Jordan and the way the people have treated us for the past 12 years," he said. "They are willing to take our oil and our petroleum and when it comes to war they stand against us.

"This is to pay them back for their two faces."

It was unclear who placed the truck bomb, the first of its kind since the end of the war three months ago. In the days before the conflict ended there was a car bomb attack at a US checkpoint but every other attack since then, almost all on the American military, has been with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades or mines left at the side of roads.

Jordan had condemned the embassy attack and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice.