18 Killed in Baghdad When Truck Explodes

BAGHDAD, June 4 -- At least 18 civilians were killed Wednesday in Baghdad when a truck filled with Shiite militia rockets accidentally blew up, U.S. military officials said. It was the deadliest single explosion in the Iraqi capital in months.

Also Wednesday, gunmen killed three U.S. soldiers in the Sunni town of Hawijah, in northern Iraq, the military said, after a relative lull in troop deaths in May, when 19 Americans were killed.

The Baghdad incident occurred about 2 p.m. in the Shaab neighborhood just west of Sadr City, the stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose militiamen have battled U.S. troops in recent months.

Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Baghdad, said Shiite militiamen were attempting to fire rockets at a U.S. base from the back of a parked truck about 800 yards away. But he said the rockets, which were supposed to be detonated by a fuse or timer, exploded early.

The blast also wounded 29 people and destroyed 15 houses in the residential area, U.S. officials said. Stover said most of the damage was caused by three rockets that exploded in the truck, though at least one rocket was launched. There were no U.S. casualties.

"They were trying to hit us, but they really don't care if something else happens and civilians are killed," he said.

He said the attack was carried out by "special groups criminals," a phrase U.S. military often use to refer to rogue elements of Sadr's militia, the Mahdi Army.

An aide to Brig. Gen. Qassim Atta, an Iraqi military spokesman, said that initial reports indicated the blast was caused by a booby-trapped car and that eight people were killed and 50 wounded. The aide spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Also Wednesday, a parked car packed with explosives blew up in front of a restaurant in the capital's upscale Jadriya neighborhood, killing at least three police officers and engulfing several cars in flames, according to police.

Um Ahmad, a 44-year-old doctor, said she was walking toward a supermarket about 8:15 p.m. when she heard an enormous boom. Her car was destroyed and her son and sister, who were with her, were hospitalized.

"The scene was horrible," she said. "I saw people burning inside their cars."

The evening had begun placidly, with families doing their food shopping and eating ice cream to beat the Baghdad heat. But after the blast, enormous plumes of smoke swirled in the dark sky and the entire area was cordoned off. Seeking safety, people scurried away to their homes.

Special correspondents Dalya Hassan and Zaid Sabah contributed to this report.