Two brothers serving in Iraq’s police forces were killed today when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle as they returned home in southeastern Baghdad, police said.

Car bombs killed at least 16 people and injured dozens others in Baghdad and a Shiite holy city today, dashing hopes that the formation of a new government alone would provide a quick end to the country’s violence.

A roadside bomb exploded near a primary school in a predominantly-Shiite area in southern Iraq today, killing two boys and injuring four others.