At least 13 people have been killed in a powerful car bomb attack in a busy square in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad today.
Two Britons, a Frenchman and an American were among the dead. The US military said 10 contractors had been wounded.
The five contractors killed were employees of a subsidiary of the US conglomerate General Electric or security contractors working with the company.
Iraqi Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib said preliminary information suggested a foreigner carried out the attack.
"The initial information shows that the person who carried out the bombing was not Iraqi and came from outside Iraq," he told Al Arabiyatelevision.
The US-led occupying power and Iraqi officials say foreign fighters have played a major role in the violence gripping Iraq.
Today's blast was the second suicide bombing in the Iraqi capital in 24 hours and coincided with a wave of assassinations aimed at the new interim government appointed to take over from the US-British occupation authorities on June 30th.
Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said five foreign workers had been killed in the morning rush-hour attack, which devastated a busy street and ripped the front off one building.
"The terrorists are trying to prevent the transfer of power and sovereignty on June 30th," he told a news conference.