At least 21 policemen were killed when two car bombs through a guard post outside the local governor’s home in the central Iraqi city of Diwaniyah Tuesday.

At least 21 policemen were killed when two car bombs through a guard post outside the local governor's home in the central Iraqi city of Diwaniyah Tuesday.

A police colonel said the governor of Diwaniyah province, Salam Hussein Alwan, had been the target of the attack but was late in leaving home and thus escaped unharmed, as did his family.
"The plan was for the bombs to explode as the governor left for work in his convoy of vehicles," the colonel said on condition of anonymity.

He added that the bombs exploded at 7:45 am (0445 GMT) at a police barrier about 30 meters from the governor's home, seriously damaging blast walls protecting the compound.

A medical source at the province’s main hospital, 160 kilometers south of Baghdad, said 21 dead bodies had been received, and many of them burnt.
"All of the dead are policemen," the medic told AFP news agency.
"Among the wounded are 30 policemen and five civilians -- two children, two men and a woman -- people whose homes were nearby," he added.

A defense ministry official said the two car bombs exploded almost simultaneously. He put the toll at 25 dead and more than 30 wounded.