Iraq: Attacks kill 4 in security forces, 1 child

[October 24, 2012]  BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi insurgents launched a new wave of attacks across the country targeting security forces and a local politician on Wednesday morning, killing four members of the security forces and one child, police and health officials said.

Militants in a speeding car attacked an Iraqi army checkpoint, opening fire from pistols fitted with silencers in Baghdad's western Mansour neighborhood, a police officer said. Two soldiers died in that attack.

The officer added that a roadside bomb exploded shortly afterward as a police patrol was heading to the scene of the Mansour attack, killing one policeman and wounding six people.

Shortly before dawn, a sniper shot at a police patrol on foot in the capital's eastern Mashtal neighborhood, killing one policeman, another police officer said.

In the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk, a parked motorcycle packed with explosives went off near the passing convoy of a local politician, killing a 7-year old child and wounding four other people, a police officer said. Politician Ali al-Hashemi, a Turkoman, escaped unharmed, he added.

Kirkuk, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of Baghdad, is home to mix of Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen, who all are competing to control the city.

Health officials in nearby hospitals confirmed the causality figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

The attacks came a day after insurgents attacked Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad by car bombs and mortar rounds, killing nine people and wounding 26.

Civilians, security forces and officials are the favorite targets for insurgents seeking to undermine public confidence in government efforts to restore security.

Meanwhile, authorities summoned some employees of the Central Bank of to give their testimonies following allegations of financial wrongdoing, a judicial spokesman said.

Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar of the Supreme Judicial Council said two groups of bank employees have been brought so far before the judges in the past two days, but he gave no specific numbers. None of the employees has been arrested.

Arrest warrants have been issued for 16 bank officials over corruption allegations raised by a special parliamentary committee formed to probe the bank. They include longtime governor Sinan al-Shabibi, a politically independent economist who has led the institution since 2003. He is out of the country.

[Associated Press; By SINAN SALAHEDDIN]

Associated Press writer Yahya Barzanji in Sulaimaniyah contributed to this report.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.