This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/6038990.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Blasts rock US army base in Iraq | Blasts rock US army base in Iraq |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A fire at a US base in the Iraqi capital Baghdad has caused a series of explosions, the military has said. | A fire at a US base in the Iraqi capital Baghdad has caused a series of explosions, the military has said. |
| There were no immediate reports of casualties at the base, known as Forward Operating Base Falcon. | There were no immediate reports of casualties at the base, known as Forward Operating Base Falcon. |
| The US military blamed the explosions on ammunition "cooking off" in the heat. They said they did not know what had caused the initial fire. | The US military blamed the explosions on ammunition "cooking off" in the heat. They said they did not know what had caused the initial fire. |
| Blasts from the base, in the south of the city, were heard for miles around. | Blasts from the base, in the south of the city, were heard for miles around. |
| The BBC's Andrew North, in Baghdad, said the explosions started at about 2300 (2100 BST). | |
| "Given the number and the scale of these explosions - and this is a very large base with a large number of troops - casualties are a possibility," he said. | "Given the number and the scale of these explosions - and this is a very large base with a large number of troops - casualties are a possibility," he said. |
| The US military reported a number of attacks on the base earlier on Tuesday, although there was no confirmation that an attack caused the fire. | |
| The Iraqi Interior Ministry said the blasts had shaken three neighbourhoods close to the base in the southern district of Doura. | The Iraqi Interior Ministry said the blasts had shaken three neighbourhoods close to the base in the southern district of Doura. |