Nine Iraqi soldiers killed in rebel attacks

Insurgents killed nine Iraqi soldiers today in a town north of Baghdad – seven of them in an armed assault on a checkpoint and two others in a car bombing more than an hour later, Iraqi officials said.

The first attack occurred about 5am (2am Irish time) when gunmen firing mortars, machine guns and semi-automatic weapons stormed a checkpoint in Khalis, about 45 miles north-east of Baghdad, said Col. Abdullah al-Shimmari.