Iraqi dies in attack on Baghdad Green Zone

Gunmen today kidnapped 20 employees of a Iraqi government agency that cares for Sunni mosques and shrines nationwide, and the organisation suspended its work until further notice, an official said.

At least 20 people were killed in a string of bombings and shootings today, mostly in Baghdad, police said.

They included a senior Interior Ministry official slain on his way to work, police said.

Two rockets exploded this afternoon in the Green Zone, which includes the US and British embassies. The US military said one Iraqi was killed and two other Iraqis were wounded.

In a report on Monday, the United Nations said 2,669 civilians were killed in May and 3,149 were killed in June, charting a month-by-month increase in the number of civilians killed.

In a joint statement today, Gen George Casey, the top American commander in Iraq, and US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad deplored the latest violence and urged Iraqi leaders “to take responsibility and pursue reconciliation not just in words, but through deeds as well”.