A US soldier opened fire on fellow troops at a counselling centre inside a US base yesterday, killing five before being taken into custody, the US command and Pentagon officials said.

Three car bombs exploded in quick succession in a southern Iraqi city today, killing at least 41 people and injuring 150.

A series of bombings struck predominantly Shiite areas in Baghdad today, killing at least seven people and wounding dozens, police said, as insurgents persist in their relentless bid to terrorise the capital in the final days before US and Iraqi soldiers plan to begin a massive crackdown.