Iraq: Suicide attack claims 2

A suicide car bomber detonated a minibus on Monday at a checkpoint near a hotel once used by American contractors and frequently targeted by insurgents, killing one other person and injuring at least six, police said.

The blast, followed by bursts of automatic weapons fire, occurred near the Sadeer Hotel, police added.

The victims were believed to have been Iraqi private security guards employed by the hotel. Moments after the blast, a large column of black smoke rose from the area, near the Ramadan mosque on the eastern side of the Tigris River.

On Sunday, a suicide truck bomber attacked a police station in eastern Baghdad, killing at least 22 others and devastating shops in the area.

Also see: 6 car bombs kill 20 in Iraq

In March, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al Qaeda in Iraq purportedly posted a video on a Website showing the huge explosion at the Sadeer Hotel, killing four and wounding 40 others, including 30 American contractors. Al-Zarqawi's group described the Sadeer as the 'hotel of the Jew'.