40 Dead As Blasts Rip Basra Police

40 Dead as Blasts Rip Basra Police Stations; Renewed Fighting at Fallujah

AP is reporting that three huge bombs went off at 3 different police stations in the southern city of Basra almost at the same time on Wednesday and that “many casualties were reported.’

‘ At one station in the Saudia district of Basra, four vehicles were seen destroyed including two school buses. At least one of the school buses appeared to have been full of passengers, an Associated Press reporter at the scene said. The facade of the Saudia station was also heavily damaged. Police Maj. Ouda al-Jabiri, at Saudia, said the cause of the blasts was not immediately known. There was a hole two yards deep and three yards wide in front of the Saudi station. ‘

Reuters just came in with the story, estimated 40 dead and dozens wounded.

Fighting also broke out again in Fallujah, according to Reuters: ‘ U.S. forces and Iraqi insurgents traded machinegun fire, mortars and grenades in the restive town of Falluja on Wednesday despite a tentative cease-fire, witnesses said. They said the clashes erupted in the town’s Golan district at around 6 a.m. (10 p.m. EDT Tuesday) and were continuing three hours later. U.S. military aircraft were flying over the area, the witnesses said. ‘