Three American soldiers killed in Iraq

An American military spokesman said that one soldier from the US fourth contingent troops was killed and other two wounded when their vehicle was running over an explosive to the north of Baghdad.

The spokesman explained that the soldiers were in a vehicle and were attacked yesterday morning near Baqouba, noting that the two wounded soldiers are in a stable condition.

Earlier in the day ( Sunday), attackers killed two American soldiers when their car stopped in a jam in the downtown of al-Musil to the north of Iraq. A spokesman for the air borne American contingent 101, which has al-Musil as a headquarters, confirmed the killing of the two soldiers, but said he has no details. American soldiers besieged the car and interrogated Iraqis in the area.

Also in al-Musil, the Iraqi police said that unidentified persons opened fire at a leading figure of the dissolved Baath party, Tounis Ali Sawadi, and he was killed. Col. Abdul Salaam Qanbar, in charge of oil security in al-Musil area was also assassinated.

In Karkouk, seven persons including 4 Americans were injured in an attack by missiles targeting a building for North Oil company. Sources of the Iraqi police said that two missiles hit a club for the company used by the Americans and employees of one branch of the American Haliburton company.

One Kurdish official in northern Iraq said that four Turks were arrested over suspicion of having links to an attack last week in Karkouk that resulted in killing four persons.

These developments coincide with an explosion that targeted an American vehicle between al-Falouja and al-Ramadi to the west of Baghdad. Eight Iraqis were killed and other 6 wounded during an incursion operation carried out by the American forces in Albo Assaf village to the west of al-Ramadi. These forces opened fire indiscriminately at certain houses and great losses were inflicted as a result.