15 people killed after motorcycle explodes in Baghdad

At least 15 people have been killed and over 50 wounded after a booby-trapped motorcycle exploded in a crowded Iraqi market.

The bomb went off just days before the scheduled U.S. pullout. The casualty toll has been confirmed by Defence and interior ministry officials who said the bomb went off around 6am (GMT) while people gathered at the market on the Muslim day of rest. Ghaith Abdul-Allah, 35, was planning to sell some motorcycles; he was uploading one to his truck when the blast occurred. "I saw a ball of fire and some motorbikes were lifted about 10 metres into the air," he said. "When the smoke from the explosion vanished, I saw a large number of young men lying on the ground soaked in blood." This is the most recent assault in a string of attacks in the run-up to the June 30 withdrawal of American troops from Iraq's urban areas. Soon the job of tracking down and arresting terrorists will be up to the Iraqi forces to hunt down the terror who will also need to patrol and prevent sectarian clashes. Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki reassured Iraqis his security forces were able to protect the population after a massive bomb killed dozens. On Wednesday, another market attack in the mostly Shi'ite neighbourhood of Sadr City in north east Baghdad killed at least 62 people and wounding about 150. "We assure you of Iraqi forces' readiness for the mission, despite some security violations, and we assure you that we are now more stable and steady," Maliki said. The flare-up of attacks across Iraq was part of "a plan that aims to awaken sectarianism, create chaos, abort the political process and prevent Iraqi people from standing on their own feet," he said. US President Barack Obama is not reconsidering his decision to withdraw American troops.