Six killed in suicide attack on Baghdad TV station

A suicide bomber driving a minibus blew himself up in front of the Baghdad office of a popular Arabic news station early on Monday, killing six people, and burying former deputy prime minister Salam al-Zubaie alive under the rubble of his collapsed home.

The bomber was apparently waved through two army checkpoints leading to the station's office along a narrow street after security guards checked his identification, according to Iraqi military spokesman Major General Qassim al-Moussawi.

Baghdad security spokesman Major General Qassim Atta was later present at the scene, and displayed what was said to be the ID of the suicide bomber to the media.

He said the bomber had used more than 200 kg of TNT and the that the al-Arabiya TV channel building had sustained "huge damage".

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast, but al-Moussawi said documents had been found indicating al-Qaeda was planning to target Arabic news channels and other media offices in the country.

Members of the channel's security department were arrested, al-Moussawi added without elaborating.