Four policemen killed in Baghdad, US consulate bombarded

The American consulate in al-Hella, south of Baghdad, was bombarded by mortars fire on Monday morning, but no casualties were reported, according to the Iraqi police and the American embassy.

News reports quoted the Iraqi police as saying that one shelling hit Babel Hotel which is composed of three sorties and includes the American consulate. This shelling is one of five fired, and resulted in damage in the hotel but no human losses were reported.

For its part, the American embassy confirmed that the bombardment took place, but said that one shell hit the surrounding of the consulate.

On the other hand, four Iraqi soldiers were killed including two army officers and other ten were injured in two separate incidents in Karkouk north of Baghdad.

Iraqi security sources said that the first incident took place as a result of a bomb explosion in the center of al-Hweijeh district, west of Karkouk, and resulted in killing two officers and injuring 8 members of the Iraqi army. The second also resulted in a bomb explosion at the al-Amal al-Shaabi (people's work) area north of the city. This resulted in killing two soldiers and injuring other two.

In a third incident, two Iraqi civilians were injured in a booby trapped car explosion when one American military procession was running west of Baghdad. Iraqi security sources said that the American military convoy was slightly damaged.