23 killed, 94 hurt in suicide attack in Baghdad

The attack appeared to target a police patrol and a crowd of Iraqis gathering to apply for jobs as day labourers.

A suicide car bomb exploded in a main square of central Baghdad on Tuesday morning, killing at least 23 people and wounding 94, police said.

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The attack occurred in Tayaran Square at 7 am and appeared to target a police patrol and a crowd of Iraqis gathering to apply for jobs as day labourers on construction sites, police Lt Bilal Ali said.

Gunfire was heard right after the explosion, but it was not immediately clear if it involved police or insurgents involved in a carefully coordinated attack.

The square is located near several government ministries and a bridge that crosses the Tigris River to the heavily fortified Green Zone, where Iraq's parliament and the US and British embassies are located.