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| Dozens killed in Iraq oil blast | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| At least 34 people have been killed by an explosion at an oil pipeline in southern Iraq, reports say. | |
| The victims are believed to have been siphoning fuel from the pipeline in an industrial zone south of Diwaniya, 130km (80 miles) south of Baghdad. | The victims are believed to have been siphoning fuel from the pipeline in an industrial zone south of Diwaniya, 130km (80 miles) south of Baghdad. |
| The explosion caused a massive fire, which police say is hampering the rescue effort. | The explosion caused a massive fire, which police say is hampering the rescue effort. |
| In a separate development, police have found 11 bodies near a school in a south-western district of Baghdad. | In a separate development, police have found 11 bodies near a school in a south-western district of Baghdad. |
| There are conflicting reports on the number of dead in the pipeline explosion. A unnamed police source quoted by Reuters news agency said 50 people had been killed. | |
| Police and other security forces have cordoned off the site. Officials say the cause of the blast is still being investigated. | |
| Witnesses told Reuters the explosion happened at about 11pm local time (1900 GMT) on Monday, when a large group of people were taking fuel from two pools. | |
| Two news agencies reported that government officials said the pipeline was out of operation. | |
| The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Baghdad says the practice of siphoning fuel from piplelines is apparently not uncommon in Iraq. | |
| Diwaniya was the scene on Monday of fierce clashes between Iraqi troops and Shia militiamen. | Diwaniya was the scene on Monday of fierce clashes between Iraqi troops and Shia militiamen. |
| At least 19 soldiers were killed and more than 40 people were wounded in Diwaniya. Officials said some 40 gunmen from the Mehdi Army had also died. | At least 19 soldiers were killed and more than 40 people were wounded in Diwaniya. Officials said some 40 gunmen from the Mehdi Army had also died. |
| Security operation | Security operation |
| After the bodies were found near the Baghdad school, police said the victims had been tortured and shot in the head and chest. Their identities are not known. | After the bodies were found near the Baghdad school, police said the victims had been tortured and shot in the head and chest. Their identities are not known. |
| It comes at a time when US and Iraqi security forces are engaged in a new security operation aimed at reducing the level of violence in the city. | It comes at a time when US and Iraqi security forces are engaged in a new security operation aimed at reducing the level of violence in the city. |
| Also on Tuesday, insurgents killed two Shia militiamen in the city of Baquba north of Baghdad. | Also on Tuesday, insurgents killed two Shia militiamen in the city of Baquba north of Baghdad. |
| Iraqi police told the AFP news agency the militiamen were killed in an attack on the office of radical cleric Moqtada Sadr. | |
| The US military in Iraq announced on Tuesday that two US soldiers died in Iraq - one in fighting in Anbar province and the second from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. | The US military in Iraq announced on Tuesday that two US soldiers died in Iraq - one in fighting in Anbar province and the second from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. |