CAIRO, July 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Visiting US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday condemned a deadly bomb attack in the Iraqi city of Baquba.

   "We have to condemn it, to fight it," Powell told reporters after talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.

   Terming the attack "another attempt by murderers to deny the Iraqi people the dream of a peaceful sovereign country," Powell said it would not "deter us" from achieving "our goal".

   As for the deteriorating security situation in Iraq, Powell said containing the situation was achievable.

   The national conference would be held in late July as planned, the US top diplomat said, adding that the US-led coalition forces and Iraqi security forces would be able to have the upper hand over insurgency to ensure a safe process.

   He said the interim Iraqi government continued to solicit assistance from other countries to provide additional forces to protect UN workers.

   A total of 68 people were killed and more than 30 wounded in a suicide car bombing outside a police station in Baquba earlier in the day, the Iraqi Health Ministry said.

   The blast took place at about 9:30 a.m. (0530 GMT) when young men were queuing outside the police station to join the police.

   Several cars, buildings and shops surrounding the fortified police station were badly damaged while the police building was spared, Arabia satellite channel al-Jazeera reported.

   Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, has been a hot spot of regular anti-coalition attacks since US-led forces invaded Iraq in March 2003, but fighters have also frequently targeted Iraqi security forces describing them as collaborators with occupation troops. Enditem