Iraq’s prime minister was the target of a suicide bombing earlier this week in the Green Zone

Iraq’s prime minister was the target of a suicide bombing earlier this week in the Green Zone, an Iraqi spokesman said.

The Baghdad military spokesman, Major General Qassim al-Moussawi, said an attacker was able to get a vehicle carrying about 44 pounds (20 kilograms) of explosives into the Green Zone and then tried to join a convoy of other vehicles going into the parliament grounds. He said guards prevented the driver from passing a checkpoint leading into the parliament compound because he did not have proper authorisation.

Mossawi said on Friday that intelligence pointed to an attempt to target Nouri al-Maliki or some other senior political leader, but that the investigation was still ongoing.

Two people, including the parliamentary speaker, were injured in Monday's blast, which officials initially said was a mortar round.

The driver then drove to the parking lot just opposite the parliament entrance where many legislators and their staff park, and the vehicle exploded seconds later.

Moussawi said that the new information was based on confessions from members of a what he called a terrorist group.