An explosive device detonated near the base of the Zaitun unit in the northern Iraqi region of Irbil on Tuesday, triggering suspicions that the bomb was aimed at attacking the South Korean troops.

An official at the Defense Ministry said the explosion occurred in a pasture some 500 meters away from the main entrance of the base of the Zaitun unit. The official said there were no injuries but that some 20 sheep were killed in the explosion.

The ministry says it is highly likely that the explosion was caused by a dead shell, citing the explosion site's former role as an artillery brigade quarters during the former Saddam Hussein government. As a precaution, however, the ministry has ordered the troops in Irbil to heighten their state of alert.