BAGHDAD: Ten Iraqis were killed and at least 40 wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in central Baghdad yesterday, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said.

Visiting the scene of the blast, Allawi told reporters that three of the dead were Iraqi National Guardsmen and the rest were civilians.

The bomb exploded as dozens of cars and scores of people were queuing up to enter the Green Zone, a heavily defended compound which houses Iraq's interim government, the US military's headquarters, embassies and contracting companies.

"We think this is a response to our recent crackdown on criminals," Allawi said, referring to a series of raids across Baghdad on Tuesday which netted more than 500 suspects.

A US military officer at the scene gave a different death toll to Allawi's, saying he believed seven people were killed in the attack, including three National Guardsmen. He said 23 people were wounded, including a US soldier. He said the blast was caused by a suicide bomber.

Also, unknown gunmen shot dead a director-general of Iraq's Industry Ministry and the mayor of the city of Mosul yesterday.

Philippine troops pull out

Philippine officials yesterday were co-ordinating to withdraw troops from Iraq following demands for a pullout from militants holding a Filipino hostage.

Militants have threatened to behead truck driver Angelo de la Cruz unless Philippine troops leave by July 20.

A foreign ministry statement said the number of troops in Iraq had changed to 43 from 51.

A militant group led by suspected al-Qaida ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed a Bulgarian hostage and vowed to execute a second Bulgarian it was holding within 24 hours, Al Jazeera television said on Tuesday.

Bulgaria confirmed on Tuesday that militants had killed one of two Bulgarian truck drivers held hostage in Iraq.

(China Daily 07/15/2004 page1)