Sunday, December 18 2005 17:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Baghdad: Ten Iraqis, including five police officers, have been killed in attacks in Baghdad and north of the capital, medical and security sources said today (Dec 18,2005).

Dhiab Hamad al-Hamdani and his son Munah were shot in the disputed oil city of Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, police Colonel Shirzad Mofari said.

They were the uncle and nephew of Khodr Hassan al-Hamdani, a leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of two main Kurdish parties in the city that is also home to Sunni Arab and Turkmen populations.

In central Baghdad, gunmen killed Ali Karim al-Assadi, a Shiite member of the Badr Organisation, the former military wing of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, an interior ministry source said.

SCIRI is the largest Shiite party in the country and leads the main United Iraqi Alliance coalition, which is tipped to become the majority grouping in parliament following last Thursday's general election.

Three policemen were killed and another two wounded when a makeshift bomb exploded as they were driving near Mustansiriyah University in the north of Baghdad, police and hospital sources said.

North of Baghad in Baladruz, two police officers and a barber were killed when gunmen raided a hair salon. Three clients were wounded, police said.

A retired air force general, Muchref Ibrahim Khalil was shot dead in Saydiyah, south of the capital, while driving in his car, the source added.