A suicide bomber blew himself up today among hundreds of army recruits in Iraq, killing 60 persons. The incident that happened near a military headquarters in Baghdad also wounded 125. At least three soldiers were among the dead and eight among the wounded. The massive blast took place around 7:30 am just outside the former Iraqi Ministry of Defense building that now houses the army's 11th division headquarters. The site receives about 250 new recruits each week as Iraqi security forces try to bolster their ranks to prepare for the US military's looming withdrawal after seven years of war. Blown-off hands and legs could be seen among pools of blood at the scene, which Iraqi soldiers closed off. US helicopters hovered overhead as frantic Iraqis showed up to search for relatives. The recruits were gathered in an open area next to Maidan Square in central Baghdad as they waited to be let through the main gates in small groups, according to two Iraqi police officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Iraqi Maj Gen Qassim al-Moussawi, a military spokesman, told The Associated Press that the blast was caused by a single suicide bomber who detonated his vest among the packed crowd.