The bombings occurred on the six-year anniversary of the bombing of the United Nations compound in Baghdad , which killed the UN 's then-coordinator of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq , Sérgio Vieira de Mello . The capture of two Al-Qaeda members in a car intended to be used as another bomb led officials to believe they were part of a coordinated attack . The attack began in early mid-morning , when a truck bomb exploded outside the Iraqi Finance Ministry . A larger explosion followed outside the Foreign Ministry , accompanied by mortar attacks on the secure Green Zone . The bombing shattered windows , killing those near them , and also brought down the compound wall across the street from the truck bomb . The foreign ministry explosion alone killed 58 people , and left a crater deep and wide . The next car bomb killed at least eight people and wounded at least 22 as it devastated a combined Iraqi army-police patrol near the Finance Ministry . Two bombings in distant areas of the city , one in the commercial Baiyaa district killing two and wounding 16 , the other in the Bab al-Muadham district killing six and wounding 24 . One targeted the Rasheed Hotel , blowing out windows and door frames . Several mortars fell inside the Green Zone 's perimeter , one near the UN compound , where aid workers were meeting to discuss the " growing danger " facing aid groups . the mortars were not confirmed by C-RAM IZ or any other US military
the bombing
Canal Hotel bombing
August 2009 Baghdad bombings