By Xinhua,
Baghdad : A car bomb explosion killed at least four people and injured 46 others on Tuesday near Iraq’s northern volatile city of Mosul, where military operation is going on to wipe out extremists, mainly al-Qaida militants.
The attack struck a crowded market at about 5:00 p.m. (1300 GMT)in the city of Talafer, some 70 km west of Mosul, a local police officer told Xinhua.
The police said women and children were among the casualties, adding the toll could rise as many of the injured remain in serious conditions.
The attack came days after U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker said he believed that the security forces had got closer than ever to defeating al-Qaida.
Mosul, about 400 km north of Baghdad, is believed to be the last urban stronghold of al-Qaida, who has suffered significant blows since the U.S. launched more aggressive campaigns last year and grassroots Iraqis began rejecting the group.
However, the U.S. military is cautious about saying that the mission is done.
Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll, a U.S. military spokesman, said Sunday that al-Qaida still poses a serious challenge to the U.S. and Iraqi forces and has the ability to stage deadly suicide bombings and fuel sectarian violence that has claimed a heavy toll.