Explosions rattled windows in the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad on Wednesday and warning sirens sounded, just minutes before the first meeting of the country's new parliament in the compound. (Xinhua/Reuters)

(Xinhua/Reuters)

(Xinhua/Reuters)

    BAGHDAD, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Explosions rattled windows in the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad on Wednesday and warning sirens sounded, just minutes before the first meeting of the country's new parliament in the compound.

    The blasts, almost certainly from mortars, echoed across the city centre and smoke rose from the Green Zone. Enditem