Rebels kill at least 22 in Iraq attacks

BAGHDAD – At least 22 people were killed, many of them security personnel, in a series of rebel attacks, including a car bomb, across Iraq yesterday, police and interior ministry officials said.

Three Iraqis were killed and 32 wounded when a suicide bomber blew up a car in central Baghdad, an interior ministry official said. “The explosives-laden vehicle exploded at 1:45 pm in a central Baghdad square,” the official said.Earlier in the day, four policemen were killed and one wounded when their patrol car was ambushed in the east of the capital.Two more policemen were shot dead on Al-Ghadir street, also in east Baghdad.One policeman was killed and three wounded in the capital’s western district of Al-Adel.One police officer was shot dead and his driver wounded in Baghdad’s southern district of Dura, while another policeman was shot dead also in the south of the capital.And one policeman was shot dead and another wounded in Baquba, 60 kilometres north of the capital, police lieutenant Khaled Ahmad said.Four Iraqi soldiers were killed Tuesday morning in a bomb explosion in Samarra, 120 kilometres north of the capital, while a businessman and his wife were shot dead near Al-Dur, some 150 kilometres north of the capital.In other violence, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a minibus taking Shi’ite pilgrims to Iran, killing three and wounding eight, police and medics said.The attack took place some 80 kilometres east of Baquba, near Imam Waiss, on a road heavily used by pilgrims visiting holy sites in neighbouring Iran.- Nampa-AFP”The explosives-laden vehicle exploded at 1:45 pm in a central Baghdad square,” the official said.Earlier in the day, four policemen were killed and one wounded when their patrol car was ambushed in the east of the capital.Two more policemen were shot dead on Al-Ghadir street, also in east Baghdad.One policeman was killed and three wounded in the capital’s western district of Al-Adel.One police officer was shot dead and his driver wounded in Baghdad’s southern district of Dura, while another policeman was shot dead also in the south of the capital.And one policeman was shot dead and another wounded in Baquba, 60 kilometres north of the capital, police lieutenant Khaled Ahmad said.Four Iraqi soldiers were killed Tuesday morning in a bomb explosion in Samarra, 120 kilometres north of the capital, while a businessman and his wife were shot dead near Al-Dur, some 150 kilometres north of the capital.In other violence, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a minibus taking Shi’ite pilgrims to Iran, killing three and wounding eight, police and medics said.The attack took place some 80 kilometres east of Baquba, near Imam Waiss, on a road heavily used by pilgrims visiting holy sites in neighbouring Iran.- Nampa-AFP