Iraq's First Lady has escaped unhurt after a bomb attack on her motorcade in Baghdad, the office of President Jalal Talabani has said.

His wife, Hiro Ibrahim Ahmed, was travelling to a cultural festival at the National Theatre at the time.

Four of her bodyguards were injured in the attack, the office said.

Earlier, the US military said that a roadside bomb in Iraq's mainly Sunni western province of Anbar had killed four US marines.

The attack on the First Lady's motorcade occurred in the capital's Karrada district but it is unclear whether she was specifically targeted.

The president's office said: "One of the vehicles of Ms Hiro Ibrahim's convoy hit an improvised explosive device in the road this morning. She was heading to the National Theatre."

Sadr City violence

The US military has released no details of the exact location or the identities of the four marines killed in Anbar province, which has seen some of the deadliest attacks on US forces.

The marines died when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device, a US statement said.

It said the attack took place on 2 May.

Other unrest continued in Baghdad on Saturday, with US forces firing missiles in the Shia stronghold of Sadr City.

They hit a building, which the US said was a "criminal element command-control centre", near the area's hospital.

At least 20 people were injured in the attack, hospital director Wiam al-Jawahiri said, but no patients were hurt, despite windows being shattered 50m (55 yards) from the blast.

(BBC)

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