Baghdad car bombs kill seven Iraqis

A car bomb blast targeting a US military patrol killed six Iraqi civilians and wounded 11 others today.

Police Maj. Moussa Abdul Karim said the explosion happened shortly before 10am local time in northern Baghdad’s Shula neighbourhood and was followed by clashes between gunmen and US soldiers that lasted about 10 minutes before the militants fled in three cars.

The apparent target was the passing US patrol, but six Iraqi civilians were killed and 11 more wounded, Abdul Karim said.

Another car bomb exploded as an Iraqi patrol passed in Baghdad’s Karradah neighbourhood, killing one policeman and wounding three bystanders.

Meanwhile, in the northern city of Kirkuk, gunmen killed an Iraqi Army captain and his driver as they were heading to work, said police Capt. Firhad Talabani.

A local government member, Khalid Ibrahim Ali, was seriously wounded after being shot by drive-by gunmen in western Baghdad’s Baiyaa neighbourhood. Armed men wounded a Jordanian Embassy driver as he left his house in Amariyah, western Baghdad.