US push fails to halt insurgency as attacks kill 37

IRAQ’S insurgency appeared unfazed by two US-led military offensives, mounting separate attacks that killed at least 37 people, mostly security forces, and wounded scores of others yesterday.

The largest one occurred in the northern Kurdish city of Irbil. A suicide car bomber dressed as a policeman crashed into a large group of traffic police officers gathered for morning roll call, killing 15 and wounding more than 100 others, police and hospital officials said.

The US-led Operations Spear and Dagger, which began over the weekend and which are aimed at destroying militant networks near the Syrian border and north of Baghdad, appeared to be winding down. US and Iraqi forces have killed about 60 insurgents with 100 captured so far, while one marine has been killed and three others wounded.