Two booby trapped cars in Iraq; ministry director kidnapped

Two booby trapped explosions took place in Baghdad. One was near a fuel station in al-Amin quarters while the second went off, led by a suicide bomber in a crowded market in the same quarters.

Earlier, ten Iraqis were killed in various attacks, five of them in clashes between the American forces and al-Mahdi army in Sader city in Baghdad, in an operation carried out by the American army in search of what he called a terrorist known by a Sunni supporters group.

A statement by the US army said that one helicopter for the coalition forces bombarded several houses after it was attacked by persons positioned on the roof of one house and this resulted in killing five persons including one woman.

The statement did not say if the killed persons was from the Mahdi army supporters, which called on the Iraqi government, the elected political blocs and liberals in Iraq and the world to "condemn this terrorist coward barbarian terrorist act."

In al-Ghazaleyah quarters in Baghdad, three Iraqi soldiers were killed in a bomb explosions targeted their vehicle. Also killed in Doura quarters were two Iraqi civilians and other were injured when security guards manning four propelled cars opened fire at a small coach.

The Iraqi police also announced that the director at the Iraqi ministry of industry Mary Hamzeh Rubai was kidnapped while she was on her way to her work west Baghdad.