Rocket Blasts Kill 15 in Baghdad

At least 27 people were wounded in the powerful nighttime blasts in Al-Obeidi neighbourhood.

Iraqi police said 15 people were killed on Tuesday when a series of rockets primed for attack in a southeast Baghdad neighbourhood exploded as security forces members were trying to defuse them.

At least 27 people were wounded in the powerful nighttime blasts in Al-Obeidi neighbourhood, a senior police officer said, declining to be named.

"Police found a truck that was being used as launching pad by insurgents for a rocket attack on a nearby US military base," the officer told AFP.
"Some of the rockets had been fired. As they were trying to defuse the others, there was a mishandling and they blew up."