Chlorine Blast Kills 27, Sickens 50 in Iraq

A truck packed with explosives and chlorine gas detonated near a police checkpoint today in Iraq, killing at least 27 people, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, April 2).

Two of the victims of the attack in the Anbar province were police officers.  Dozens more were injured in the attack in the restive region that has been a stronghold of Sunni insurgents.

This was the ninth attack this year in Iraq involving the toxic gas, AP reported (Bassem Mroue, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, April 6).

The suicide bomber apparently targeted a police checkpoint, but swerved toward a residential complex upon coming under fire from police officers.  Victims of the blast included women and children, the New York Times reported.

It was not certain whether the victims died from the explosion or the gas.

Fifty individuals near the blast suffered breathing difficulties following the attack (Semple/Elsen, New York Times, April 6).

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