Basra - A bomb exploded outside a church in the main southern Iraqi city of Basra, a police officer told AFP on Saturday. There were no casualties. The bomb exploded in central Basra's Al-Ashhar neighbourhood at 08:00 (1600 GMT) on Friday, said the officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. "As the guard of the church opened the door, the bomb exploded. No one was wounded in the blast," he said. He added that "the door of the church was slightly damaged". The attack on the church comes amid the uproar over remarks made by Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday, implicitly criticising links between Islam and violence.