BAGHDAD - Iraqi police detained a man as he was trying to detonate an explosives-laden truck filled with chlorine in Ramadi, the military said Sunday.

People stand at the ruins of al-Hadi mosque in the town of Haswa, Iraq, 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Baghdad, Sunday, March 25, 2007. 11 people were killed and 45 were wounded when a suicide bomber exploded a truck in front of the mosque Saturday. [AP]

The incident occurred Friday afternoon when a white cargo truck stopped near the entrance to a police station, about 150 yards from a water treatment plant in the Sunni city, according to a statement.

Police detained the driver after discovering the truck was rigged with more than two tons of explosives. Five, 1,000-gallon barrels filled with chlorine also were hidden under several 55-gallon drums, the military said.

The driver was being held for questioning and the explosives were destroyed by demolition experts, the statement added.

There have been seven chlorine attacks launched since Jan. 28, when a suicide bomber driving a dump truck filled with explosives and a chlorine tank struck a quick-reaction force and Iraqi police in Ramadi, killing 16 people.

The use of the toxic gas in attacks has prompted the US military to warn that insurgents are adopting new tactics in a campaign to spread panic.