Truck Bomb Had Chlorine Gas

Feb 22, 01:28 AM

Current Headlines: Officials in Baghdad say the use of chlorine combined with explosives in a truck bomb might represent a new tactic by insurgents against civilians.

The truck bomb blew up Wednesday in southern Baghdad. It was at least the third truck bomb within the past month to use chlorine, a gas that burns the skin and can be fatal if inhaled directly, The New York Times reported.

Wednesday's bomb killed at least two people and wounded 32 others. Many of the injured coughed and wheezed as they were taken to hospitals, officials said.

Iraqi and U.S. officials told the Times the use of chlorine seemed intended to raise the level of fear and havoc in Iraq, at a time when the United States and Iraq are implementing a new security plan for Baghdad.

A U.S. military spokesman, Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, said the tactic illustrates the fluid nature of insurgent planning, and the tendency to repeat attacks that draw the most attention and inflict the most suffering, the newspaper said.