Basra–A roadside bomb targeting a US military convoy exploded near a civilian bus in the southern oil hub of Basra on Sunday, killing six people and wounding a dozen others, a provincial official said.
The attack occurred in a northern district of Basra and many of the victims were women and children, Ali al-Maliki, the head of the Basra provincial council's security committee, said.
Basra Deputy Governor Ahmed Hamid confirmed that the blast occurred near a prison in the al-Maaqal district of northern Basra.
"A roadside bomb exploded near a civilian bus," Hamid said. "Most of the casualties are civilian. The explosion happened near the prison and was targeting a US patrol."
US troops surrounded the scene of the blast along with Iraqi security forces, according to Reuters television video.
