13 killed in Iraq amid security alert measures

Iraqi security sources said that 13 persons were killed including 7 security men. Other seven were injured in various acts of violence took place in various parts of the country on the third anniversary of the war against Iraq.

In Baghdad. six persons were killed and other two injured in a bomb explosion targeting a vehicle for police Maghaweir in al-Karradeh area south of the capital.

Among the killed persons were three Maghaweir police men.

In Karkouk to the northeast of Baghdad, three were killed on board of a car when an explosive went off. It was not known if the victims were civilians or armed.

In Jarf al-Sakher area (50 km southern west of Baghdad) four security men in charge of guarding government installations were killed in a bomb explosion.

On the other hand, five visitors of the Shiite holy shrines were injured by gunmen in al-Mahmoudeyah area (30 km south of Baghdad).

Meantime, nine unidentified bodies were found in various areas of Baghdad.

In another development, the Iraqi army said it detained 16 of what it called terrorists including two Egyptians during breaking in operations in Hella city south of Baghdad.

These developments came amid large scale security alert in the lines of the American and Iraqi forces to ensure security in the Shiite Karbala city to which hundreds of thousands of visitors flow on Ashoura (Imam al-Hussein assassination anniversary).