The double bombing occurred in the so called 'green zone', a heavily fortified sector of Baghdad where most international diplomats are housed.
The initial explosion was followed by a car bomb moments later. A top Sunni official was quoted as saying Al-Zubaie had been rushed to a U.S led hospital and is being attended to in the intensive care unit. He had undergone surgery and suffered from many injuries including a deep shrapnel wound to the chest.
More recent reports has stated the Deputy PM's condition maybe worse off than first believed, describing his condition as 'critical'. This comes despite a ban on cars during certain hours of the day in the area and a recent troop surge by the Bush administration of over 22,000 men.
The bombing came after a statement purportedly by an Al-Qaida umbrella group singled out the Sunni deputy prime minister as a stooge "to the crusader occupiers.
Yesterday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was holding a news conference in the green zone with Iraqi PM Nouri Al-Maliki when a katyusha rocket landed nearby causing him to duck behind the podium. He was not hurt in the attack though visibly shaken up.
Earlier reports had alleged the attack was an act of treachery by one of his own
bodyguards but no confirmation of this has been provided as of yet.
