Violence and death hit Iraq ahead of war anniversary

More violence struck Iraq ahead of the anniversary on Saturday of the start of the US-led war that ousted Saddam Hussein: a deadly car bomb exploded in a southern city, three Iraqi journalists died in a drive-by shooting and three US soldiers perished in mortar attacks.

In Basra, a suicide bomber blew up a car near a hotel as a British military patrol passed by, killing three bystanders.