Iraqis scramble to put out a fire after a building caught alight following a suicide car bomb attack in Basra

A suicide car bomb exploded in southern Iraq Sunday outside an apartment building used by a Shi'ite militia, killing at least one person and wounding several others.

The attack in Basra, Iraq's second city, apparently was aimed at the Iranian-backed Badr Brigade militia. News reports say Basra's former governor Hassan al-Rashid, a senior militia leader, escaped unharmed.

Basra has been hit by several recent bombings ahead of next Saturday's (October 15) vote on a new national constitution.

Authorities in Baghdad say security will heightened nationwide for the referendum, with curfews and a ban on car travel in many areas. Iraq's borders will be closed to deter infiltration by insurgents, and coalition forces will protect polling places.

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.