CHELSEA J. CARTER
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD – Three car bombs exploded Monday near three Baghdad hotels popular with Western journalists and businessmen, killing at least 16 people and wounding scores more, Iraqi police said.
The first explosion struck at about 3:40 p.m. in the parking lot of the Sheraton Hotel, toppling high concrete blast walls protecting the site and damaging a number of buildings along the Abu Nawas esplanade across the Tigris River from the Green Zone, two Iraqi police officials said.
Two other blasts followed minutes later, striking near the Babylon Hotel and al-Hamra Hotel, which is popular with Western journalists.