Blast hits central Baghdad

In August, the UN building was targeted

A large explosion rocked central Baghdad on Friday night.

The BBC's Owen Bennet-Jones says a large orange flame lit the sky at about 2055 local time (1655 GMT), followed by a huge plume of white smoke.

Shrapnel lay about the scene and a taxi was badly damaged.

There was a large crater from the explosion - not far from the Palestine Hotel - which sent shockwaves that rattled windows across the city.

No casualties have been reported.

It is not clear what caused the blast but witnesses say it appears to have been a roadside bomb.

They say there are scorch marks on the road but that no vehicle has been damaged.

Coalition troops and Iraqi police are now at the scene.

The blast came hours after US forces arrested more than 50 Iraqis after a fierce battle in Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit.

US-led troops have continued to come under attack in Iraq since 1 May when major hostilities ended.