A bomb targeting a convoy of traffic police officers went off in Baghdad Sunday morning, injuring three civilians.
The improvised explosive device went off just after 8 a.m. in Karada, Baghdad’s safest neighborhood, just outside the Green Zone.
The blast was followed by sporadic small arms fire, as helicopters belonging to private security contractors and U.S. military Cobra gun ships encircled the neighborhood.
On Saturday, the city held a parade honoring the traffic police, who stand in for the inoperable traffic lights at large intersections across the city. Their job means they frequently bear the brunt of civilian road rage, which can be particularly intense in a city choked by closed roads and military checkpoints.
The explosion, blocks from the fortified hotels housing most western media in Baghdad, closed roads and snarled traffic for most of the morning.
McClatchy Correspondent Jenan Hussein contributed to this report.
