An explosion that blew up an Iraqi oil pipeline south of Baghdad was caused accidentally, the US military said on Saturday, adding the firefighters had contained a blaze sparked by the blast.

On Friday, an Iraqi police officer in Babil province said the pipeline had been bombed and 10 guards were wounded in an attack near the town of Musayyib, south of Baghdad.

But the American military said the explosion had been an accident.

"The fire was caused accidentally by maintenance personnel," it said in a statement quoting Major General Ra'ad Jawad, commander of Karbala Operations Command. ... Read full article