Military

DATE=10/28/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=IRAQ / FALLUJAH BLAST (L)

NUMBER=2-309141

BYLINE=GREG LAMOTTE

DATELINE=BAGHDAD

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: A bomber struck the town of Fallujah west of Baghdad, killing at least four civilians. V-O-A's Greg LaMotte in Baghdad has the latest details.

TEXT: According to Iraqi police, a suicide bomber in Fallujah drove his car to within 100-meters of a police station, a school, and a power station and detonated his explosives-filled vehicle.

Fallujah is a town about 65-kilometers west of Baghdad in what is known as the Sunni triangle. The area is known as the stronghold of Saddam Hussein loyalists.

Monday, four suicide bombings rocked Baghdad in what was the worst day of violence since major combat operations ended May 1st. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured.

The spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority, Charles Heatly, told reporters Tuesday bringing security to Iraq is work in progress.

/// HEATLY ACT ///

We do, of course, have a responsibility of, as we have said always, to improve the security situation in this country we take that very seriously and we will continue to work on it.

/// END ACT ////

The provisional authority also disclosed that the deputy mayor of Baghdad (Faris al-Assam) was shot dead late Sunday during a drive-by shooting near his home in Baghdad.

In a separate development, at least three people were injured when a roadside device detonated in Basra as a British patrol passed by. (SIGNED)

NEB/GL/MAR/RH/RAE