Baghdad bomb kills six, ends Asian Cup honeymoon

BAGHDAD, July 30 (Reuters) A car bomb killed six people in central Baghdad today, police said, the first bombing in the capital since Iraq's soccer win in the Asian Cup brought a brief respite in the violence ravaging the country.

Police said 12 people were also wounded in the blast in al-Tayran square in Bab al-Shorji district, a mainly Shi'ite area that has many wholesale and electronics shops.

Riding the wave of national euphoria that followed Iraq's 1-0 defeat of favourites Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup in Jakarta yesterday, some Iraqis spoke of the victory bringing Iraq's splintered ethnic and religious sects together.

But others knew it was only a matter of time before the bombers returned to the streets.

Iraq is riven by sectarian violence between majority Shi'ites and minority Sunnis that has killed tens of thousands and raised fears of civil war. The US military has sent nearly 30,000 more troops to try to stabilise the country and give the country's leaders time to reconcile the warring groups.

REUTERS PD SSC1620