last appeared to target a passing security patrol in the capital's mixed Sunni-Shiite neighborhood of Jihad. Five policemen were wounded in the explosion. A medic at al-Yarmouk hospital confirmed the casualties. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information. The blast hit shoppers on a balmy evening as many Iraqis celebrated the Eid holiday thaing, which accounts for roughly 70 percent of U.S. economic activity. August is the peak of the back-to-school shopping season, the second most important period for U.S. retailers after the year-end holiday season. Sales in recent months have held up despite weak economic indicators, offering hope of consumer resiliency in August and the rest of the year. "If August continues as June and July did, I think that could bode well for a solid (year-end) holiday. I'm not saying that we're going to have a blow-out holiday, but a solid holiday," said Madison Riley, managing director of retail consulting firm Kurt Salmon. The holiday shopping season, which traditionally starts the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, can make up as much as 40 percent of a retailer's annual revenue. Graphic on same-store sales: IRENE HITS BACK-TO-SCHOOL SALES Hurricane Irene, which hit a wide area from North Carolina up to Vermont, essentially shut down malls during the last weekend of August, hurting sales of traditional back-to-school items like clothes, shoes and electronics. Macy's Inc and J.C. Penney Co Inc were among the many chains forced to shut stores in the New York area. Apparel retailers are expected to show the smallest sales gains in August, according to Thomson Reuters data. A glut