BAGHDAD, Jan. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The Iraqi minister of industry escaped unhurt when a roadside bomb struck his convoy in southeastern Baghdad on Monday, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua.

    "Usama al-Najafai, minister of industry, survived unhurt in the blast which targeted his convoy on the highway near the Camp Sara district," the source said.

    The powerful blast damaged two vehicles of the convoy, he said. Insurgents often attack Iraq's government officials and security forces, accusing them of collaborating with the US occupation forces. Enditem