At least 13 killed in Baghdad car bombs

An officer at the Mansour police station, speaking on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said two parked cars exploded one after another near a fuel station. The blast set fire to the station, and burned several cars in the area, he said.

The officer initially put the death toll at seven, but later said that some of the wounded died.

Hours later, firefighters sprayed streams of water over at least six smoldering cars, as Iraqi soldiers and civilians staggered around the wreckage. Associated Press Television News footage showed blood pooling amid scattered fuel containers. Nearby, tea cups lay toppled on a blanket spread over wood crates.

The wounded lay on stretchers crowded in the hallway inside. Mansour is a primarily Sunni neighbourhood.