Dozens of Iraqis dead and wounded in latest violence

A minibus explosion outside an army recruiting centre, a parked car bomb in eastern Baghdad and a string of other attacks today left at least 29 Iraqis dead and more than a dozen wounded.

A US soldier also died over the weekend, the military said.

In the deadliest attack, defence ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Ibrahim al-Obeidi said a minibus exploded near the northern gate of the al-Muthana recruiting centre in central Baghdad, killing at least 16 Iraqis and wounding another seven.

Another four people were killed and three were wounded after a car bomber was used in a botched attack against a US military convoy in eastern Baghdad.

A US soldier was killed by small arms fire after his patrol came under attack north of Baghdad, the US military command said.

The soldier died yesterday evening when his patrol was attacked with small arms fire, the military said.

Gunmen killed at least nine people in separate attacks overnight and this morning in northern Iraq and in the capital, authorities said.