Bomb explodes in southern Iraq, wounds contractor

BASRA, Iraq, Oct 17 (AFP) - At least one civilian contractor was wounded Sunday in a roadside bomb explosion in the vicinity of the southern port of Basra, the British military said.
The bomb wounded the contractor, whose nationality was unknown, as his vehicle drove by and he was taken to a British military hospital.
Compared to strife-torn central Iraq, Basra is relatively calm, but the port city has been rocked by organised crime, tribal violence and the activities of Moqtada Sadr's armed Shiite militia.