A minibus explosion outside an army recruiting centre, a parked car bomb in eastern Baghdad and a string of other attacks today left at least 29 Iraqis dead and more than a dozen wounded.

A minibus exploded near an army recruiting centre in central Baghdad today, killing at least 16 people and injuring seven, the Defence Ministry said.

A minibus exploded near an army recruiting centre in central Baghdad today, killing at least 12 people and injuring two, the Defence Ministry said.

A US soldier was killed yesterday in an apparent drive-by shooting at a gas station in Iraq, the US military said.

United Nations weapons inspectors stepped up the destruction of banned missiles today, returning to a military compound to supervise the disposal of six Al Samoud 2 rockets, an Iraqi official said.