Two Britons were killed and three injured today when gunmen attacked a bus carrying Muslim pilgrims south of Baghdad, police and hospital officials said.

US jets bombed two insurgent “safe houses” near the Syrian border today in an attack aimed at al-Qaida in Iraq.

Increased attacks by insurgents over the past two days have killed at least 44 Iraqis, including 12 labourers – five of them brothers – who were gunned down at a construction site.

Four suicide car bombers targeted Iraqi and US security patrols today, killing 19 people in the latest surge of suicide attacks, police said.