'Five killed' in Baghdad mortar blast

A mortar round killed five people and injured 30 others after it hit a busy street in central Baghdad today, the Interior Ministry said.

A mortar round killed five people and injured 30 others after it hit a busy street in central Baghdad today, the Interior Ministry said.

The blast on al-Rasheed Street, a busy commercial district, set one building on fire and damaged seven cars, said Col. Adnan Abdul-Rahman, of the Interior Ministry.

Capt. Amer Nouman at the Medical City hospital said the blast killed five people, including two children. Three of the bodies were burned beyond recognition, he said. He said the hospital also received 30 people who were wounded in the explosion.

The attack occurred on the final day of the country's National Conference, a gathering of delegates from across Iraq that was considered a major target for insurgents who have waged violent attacks here for the past 16 months.

The mortar blast was not near the fortified enclave that housed the conference.