Two explosions rip through Baghdad, at least 8 reported killed

(4 Oct 2004) SHOTLIST
1. Heavy black smoke coming from site of explosion on skyline
2. Wide shot street, tilt up to sky as helicopter swoops past
3. Skyline with heavy smoke rising, audio gunfire
4. Various of thick clouds of smoke rising on skyline
5. Ambulance driving past
6. Helicopter flying past tilt down to road, police vehicles parked across road

STORYLINE

A car bomb exploded in Baghdad on Monday morning, killing at least eight people and wounding 50 wounded, hospital officials said.

The explosion happened
at an entrance to the Green Zone, a heavily fortified area on the west bank of the Tigris River that is home to the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government buildings.

Less than an hour later, a second blast ripped through Baghdad's central Saadoun Street.

It was not immediately clear what was the target.

The first explosion happened shortly before 9 a.m. (0600 GMT) and caused a number of civilian casualties, said Major Phil Smith, a spokesman for the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division.

He had no immediate figures.

No coalition forces were believed killed, he said.

The second explosion happened at 9:45 a.m. (0645 GMT), near a number of major hotels.

Bursts of gunfire were heard after the blast and thick black smoke rose from the scene.

A pair of helicopters circled the area and troops blocked off the road.

Both the Green Zone and the area around Saadoun Street have been the target of previous suicide attacks that have killed dozens of people.

Insurgents have been waging a 17-month campaign to undermine the US-backed interim government and drive the United States and its allies from Iraq.

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