Nearly 70 people were killed and 150 others injured in a motor-cycle bomb explosion Wednesday in Baghdad, a local police source said.

An Iraqi soldier stands guard in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, June. 24, 2009. [Xinhua]

The blast occurred at a pet market in Baghdad's largely Shi'ite dominated Sadr City Wednesday night, when a motor-cycle loaded with bomb hidden under vegetable and fruits was detonated, the police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The blast scene has been cordoned off and the wounded are being transferred to local hospitals for treatment. Investigation into the case also started, the source added.

The explosion – one of the most fatal so far this year – came just six days before US combat troops are due to withdraw from Iraqi towns and cities, raising fear of a rebound of terror attacks at a time when Iraqi security forces finally struggle to stand on its own.