Car Explosion in Iraq Kills, Injures Dozens

BAGHDAD —  A car bomb exploded this morning outside the main police station in Baqubah killing and wounding dozens of Iraqis in what appeared to be the worst case of violence since the country regained its sovereignty last month.

Estimates of the fatalities ranged from 15 to more than 30. As many as 100 Iraqis were believed to have been wounded, said Ahmed Fouad, a doctor at the city hospital.

Many Iraqis were at the station to apply for jobs as police officers, officials said. The explosion also might have affected a nearby marketplace. Iraqis said all of the dead appeared to be civilians.

Insurgents have targeted government officials and others working with the U.S., which led the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. There were no reports of U.S. casualties.

In addition to carrying out assassinations and kidnappings, the guerrillas have attacked Iraqi police and national guard, regarded as collaborators with U.S. and foreign troops stationed in Iraq.

Baqubah, about 40 miles north of the capital, has been a hot spot of violence in recent months. The city’s population is a mix of Sunni and Shiite Muslims.