BAGHDAD, June 1 (Xinhua) -- An explosive charge went off among a crowd of construction workers in central Baghdad early on Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding 21 others, an Interior Ministry source said.

    The blast took place at about 6:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) in the Tayaran Square when a bomb hidden in a plastic bag detonated among dozens of workers who were waiting to be hired for daily work, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    Several shops and nearby cars were damaged in the blast while the police cordoned off the area and ambulances rushed the casualties to nearby hospitals, he added.

    Violence has persisted in Iraq despite the formation of a new unity government. Enditem