Conflicting reports over bomb killing or injuring children in park in Ramadi

Men stand beside a destroyed police station hit by a suicide truck bomb attack in Ramadi yesterday. 15 people died.

BAGHDAD, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Iraq's government and police said a bomb blast near a soccer field in the city of Ramadi on Tuesday killed 18 people, mostly children, but the U.S. military said it was unaware of such an attack.

The U.S. military said its soldiers had carried out a controlled explosion in the volatile western city, also near a soccer field, that wounded 30 people, including nine children.

"I can't imagine there would be another attack involving children without our people knowing," said Major Jeff Pool, a spokesman for U.S. forces in western Anbar province. The wounded had cuts and bruises, he said...

Pool said the controlled blast in Ramadi was "stronger than we had expected". He said it was carried out in the courtyard of a building where bags of explosives had been found. Windows from a nearby building were blown out, causing the wounds.

Read the rest at Reuters/Alternet

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