Heliborne US and Iraqi troops pressed their sweep through a 100-square-mile section of central Iraq today in a bid to break up a centre of insurgent resistance, the US military said. No casualties were reported on either side.

Three gunmen in a speeding car killed a defence lawyer in the Saddam Hussein trial and wounded another today in Western Baghdad.

Three gunmen in a speeding car killed a lawyer for a co-defendant in Saddam Hussein’s trial and wounded another today in Baghdad, a member of the defence team and police said.

A lawyer representing a former Iraqi vice president on trial along with Saddam Hussein was assassinated today in western Baghdad, a colleague on the defence team said.