DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, I want to go ahead check in on the latest deadly suicide bombing in Iraq. It was an explosion that ripped through the Italian military headquarters in the southern part of the country. Almost two dozen people were killed. Our Ben Wedeman is tracking the story. He joins us from Baghdad. Ben, hello.</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. It appears the Italian death toll has risen. We've just heard from officials in the Italian defense ministry that 16 Italians were killed in that blast. That in addition to at least eight Iraqis who were killed as well. Now the blast took place midmorning, right outside the police headquarters of the Italian contingent in that area. It's not quite clear precisely what happened, but coalition officials are telling us that a truck crashed into the main entrance of that base, followed very quickly by a car. The car blew up and may have been also that the truck exploded as well. At this point, rescue teams are digging through the rubble of the main building in that headquarters compound. Italian officials said at the time of the blast, as many as 60 people may have been inside. Italian officials, of course, are describing this as a terrorist act. These are the first Italian combat fatalities in Iraq since the end of the war and the arrival of a 2,700-man Italian contingent. And it ranks up as one of the most deadly attacks on coalition forces since the end of the war. With 16 Italians dead, it is on a par with the deadliest attack on the American forces that took place November 2nd when a Chinook helicopter was shot down outside Fallujah. Now in addition to the incident in Nasiriyah, one American soldier was killed overnight on the outskirts of Baghdad, and another died from wounds sustained also yesterday. This brings the death toll for the first 12 days of November almost to 60 among coalition forces -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Ben Wedeman in Baghdad. Thank you for that. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Bomb Attack on Italian Military Headquarters