At least 18 people have been killed and another 80 injured in a suicide bomb attack at a police crime laboratory in Baghdad, Aljazeera news agency reported on Tuesday.
The blast occurred in the Karrada neighborhood and caused the collapse of the criminal investigation department of the interior ministry building. The driver of a vehicle detonated explosives outside the forensics office. The bomber tried to drive through a police checkpoint and the containment walls protecting the offices, which are in Tahariyat Square.
Most of the victims worked in the forensic investigation office which deals with data collected during criminal investigations, including fingerprints and other evidence and is located next to the Interior Ministry's major crimes office, which deals with terrorism cases.
The capital has been rocked by three coordinated vehicle bombings mostly targeting government buildings since August that have killed about 400 and injured more than 1,000 people.
Security measures are likely to be tightened in Iraq as the country prepares for nationwide parliamentary elections on March 7 with insurgents expected to increase the number of attacks to disrupt the polls.
MOSCOW, January 26 (RIA Novosti)
