By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A suicide car bomber targeted an Iraqi police patrol near the heavily fortified Green Zone on Monday, killing two civilians and wounding five people, including three policemen, police said.
The blast happened at about 10:10 a.m. near a checkpoint into the Green Zone, which houses the Iraqi government and the US Embassy. Another explosion was heard about 20 minutes later, but its source or location were not immediately known.
Lt. Thair Mahmoud said the suicide bomber caused the first blast by detonating an explosives-packed vehicle as a police patrol passed near the Iranian Embassy, which is close to the checkpoint that has become known as "Assassins Gate" for the multiple attacks carried out there.
Two Iraqis were killed in the attack and five wounded, including three police, Mahmoud said.
The large explosion sent a thick black plume of smoke rising into the sky and bursts of automatic weapon fire were heard immediately after.
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store