Suicide bomb injures US marines

Suicide bomb injures US marines

At least four US marines have been injured in a suicide bomb attack on a military checkpoint in Baghdad.

US marines spokesman Major Matt Baker said "some" servicemen had been killed, but coalition Central Command would not confirm this.

The attack took place in Saddam City, an impoverished area of the city that is home to about two million people, mainly Shia Muslims.

US marines who said they witnessed the incident told our correspondent an Iraqi man had approached the checkpoint and detonated a number of grenades.

Smoke can now be seen rising from the scene.

The suicide bomb attack is the second against US troops in Iraq since the war began - in March four American soldiers were killed in an attack at a checkpoint near the town of Najaf.

Prior to the conflict a number of Iraqis vowed to carry out suicide bomb attacks against coalition troops. They are said to have been joined by the so-called Arab Volunteers, foreigners who have travelled to Iraq to carry out such attacks.

US forces seized control of the Iraqi capital on Wednesday, but our correspondent says Baghdad remains a dangerous and unstable place, as this incident illustrates.