Nasiriya explosion kills 22
Fourteen Italian troops and at least eight Iraqis have died in a massive car bomb attack in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriya.
The blast devastated the Italian military police headquarters in the city
Coalition chiefs have blamed the attack on Saddam Hussein loyalists.
A spokeswoman for the multinational forces stationed in Iraq said a truck had crashed through the complex’s entrance, followed by a car which exploded.
“Unfortunately, we fear there could be other victims,” Carabinieri spokesman Alessandro Di Gruttola told press in Rome.
Pope John Paul II condemned the “vile attack” and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said no intimidation would stop Italy helping Iraq “rise up again and rebuild itself with self-government, security and freedom”.
The 11 Italian military policemen and three soldiers were the country’s first victims in Iraq in what was believed to be the first attack on Carabinieri ever serving on foreign soil.
The blast reportedly occurred at around 10:40 local time (07:40 GMT) and more Italian policemen are believed to be trapped in the rubble.
Italy has sent about 2,300 troops to help the reconstruction of post-war Iraq. Many of them are based in Nasiriya, a small city that has seen little of the violence against foreign troops witnessed in other parts of Iraq.
Italian soldiers operate under the control of the US-led coalition.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s US governor, Paul Bremer, has been at the White House for emergency meetings to discuss a strategy for tackling attacks against American forces in Iraq. Attacks on coalition troops have intensified in recent weeks.
More than 150 US troops have been killed in attacks since major combat operations in Iraq ended on May 1st.
US officials are believed to be considering ways to speed up the change of administration to Iraqi control.
Another US soldier was killed on Tuesday night when he drove over a bomb planted on a road north of Baghdad.
