Iraq Toll In Sadr City Blast Rises To Nine

A late night car bomb that tore through a cafe in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood killing nine people appears to have detonated prematurely, also blowing up three suspected militants in the vehicle, police said Thursday.

The microbus loaded with explosives appeared to be the latest attempt by militants to stoke a sectarian conflict by striking at a Shiite neighborhood with strong ties to militias.

Police had initially said it was a parked car bomb, but subsequent reports revealed the minibus was moving when it exploded and three bodies were found inside, suggesting they were headed to another target inside the densely populated district of at least 2 million.

Police and hospital officials from the nearby al-Sadr and Imam Ali hospitals gave the death toll and details on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.