A series of car bombs targeted American and Iraqi troops in separate areas of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a day after security forces captured a would-be suicide bomber near the entrance to the heavily guarded Green Zone. Scattered mortar fire shook two north Baghdad districts.

THE US military yesterday announced the capture of a key suspect in the murder of Egyptian envoy Ihab al-Sherif.

The US military today announced the capture of a key suspect in the kidnap-murder of Egyptian envoy Ihab al-Sherif and attacks on senior diplomats from Pakistan and Bahrain.

Iraqi troops are ready to take control of some cities as a first step toward sending home American and other foreign soldiers, Iraq’s prime minister said. But he rejected any timetable for a pull-out.

AL-QAIDA in Iraq yesterday claimed that it has killed Egypt’s top envoy in Iraq, posting a video of the blindfolded diplomat identifying himself.

Gunmen killed four policemen and wounded at least nine more in separate attacks in Baghdad today. The reputed leader of al Qaida in Iraq said the country’s security forces were as great an enemy as the Americans and brushed aside calls to abandon the insurgency.

Sinan Salahedin, Baghdad

Insurgents mounted attacks against Arab and Muslim diplomats in Iraq today, wounding Bahrain’s top envoy in a kidnapping attempt. Pakistan’s ambassador also escaped an assault on his convoy.

A car bomb in Baghdad has killed two civilians and wounded four more this morning, police said, a day after Egypt’s top envoy to Iraq was kidnapped in an apparent bid to dissuade the country’s Arab neighbours from strengthening ties to the US-backed government.

AN Egyptian envoy expected to become Iraq’s first Arab ambassador since its new government took office was kidnapped in Baghdad, weeks after arriving in the country, diplomats said yesterday.

Egypt’s top envoy to Iraq was kidnapped in Baghdad just weeks after arriving in the country, Egyptian diplomats said today.