Saturday, May 7 2005 10:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Baghdad: Insurgents stepped up attacks in Iraq yesterday (May 6, 2005) killing at least 42 people in two suicide car bombings as militants gave Canberra a hostage ultimatum and said they had kidnapped six Jordanians.

At least 28 people were killed and 52 wounded in a car bomb attack at a crowded market in Suwayrah 50 kilometres south of Baghdad, blasting stalls to pieces as sowing panic amid the carnage.

The city lies in a lawless area where Sunni Arab militant groups have carried out scores of attacks against security forces.

The attack came after another suicide bomber rammed his car into a minibus carrying policemen near ousted dictator Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, killing eight policemen and four civilians, including a child.

In addition, police said they found 14 bodies, blindfolded and hands bound, each executed with a bullet to the back of the head, in North-eastern Baghdad.

Amid the violence, the kidnappers of engineer Douglas Wood gave Canberra a 72-hour ultimatum to start withdrawing troops while another militant group said it had taken six Jordanian workers hostage, Al-Jazeera satellite television reported.