Monday, July 18 2005 11:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Baghdad: Four suicide car bombers targeted Iraqi and US security patrols yesterday (July 17, 2005), killing 19 people in the latest surge of suicide attacks, police said.

The first suicide attack killed two policemen and one civilian in the Eastern New Baghdad neighbourhood, police 1st Lt Mohammed Jasim said. The attack also wounded seven policemen, some seriously, and one other civilian.

About an hour later, a second suicide car bomber exploded near a police convoy near the Bay'a bus station in Southern Baghdad, killing three police commandos and four civilians, police Capt Talib Thamir said. Three civilians were also injured in that blast.

A third suicide car bomber missed a US convoy but struck two minibuses, killing six civilians in the troubled Mahmoudiya town about 30 kilometers south of Baghdad, police Capt Rashid al-Samarie said. Nine others were also wounded.

In eastern Baghdad, another car bomber sped towards a police patrol, exploding early but killing one policeman and two civilians, police Capt Abdul Hussein Minsif said. At least four others were wounded and several cars and homes were damaged in the blast.

After a lull in attacks, after a security sweep last month through the capital, attacks have increased in recent days, including a suicide bombing on Saturday (July 16, 2005) that killed at least 71 people in Musayyib, about 70 kilometers south of Baghdad.

On Friday (July 15, 2005), at least seven suicide attacks exploded in the country, killing at least 30 and wounding over 110 people.