The explosion left a crater eight meters (26 feet) deep and 15 meters wide and destroyed four houses off Ramadan 14th, a main commercial artery in the al-Mansur area, they said.

Nine members of a family, including two children, and five other people were found dead. Neighbors and relief workers were searching through the rubble of the collapsed buildings for other possible victims.

The bombardment hit at about 3 pm local time (1100 GMT). Initial reports said the area had been hit by a missile.

Shattered glass and concrete covered the sidewalk, notably in front of the al-Sa'ah restaurant where President Saddam Hussein made a defiant public appearance Friday after US troops launched an attack on Saddam International Airport southwest of the capital.

The troops of the US-British coalition now have the airport under their control.

SPACE.WIRE