Blast Rocks Downtown Baghdad

A large explosion rocked downtown Baghdad today shortly after Iran said it had fired a missile at the Iraqi capital in retaliation for Iraqi attacks on Iranian border towns that killed at least 39 people.

Iraq did not confirm the attack and reporters who heard the blast were barred from traveling to the area in central Baghdad where it occurred. Iran’s official news agency said that a ground-to-ground missile was fired at Baghdad but did not say whether any damage or casualties resulted.