Car bombs rock Baghdad, Mosul

At least three Iraqi civilians suffered injuries in Monday morning's blasts in Baghdad, according to witnesses at the scene.

A suspected bomb placed in an Opel sedan exploded near the eastern entrance to the Sarafiya Bridge in downtown Baghdad, according to an Associated Press photographer at the scene.

Lieutenant Abbas Jassam said the driver had abandoned the car underneath the bridge spanning the Tigris river before it exploded.

Mosul car bomb

Also, interior ministry official Major Mushtaq Abbas said at least two mortars struck the former Higher Education Ministry near the central Saddun Street.

Abbas said that the building has been under renovation and no casualties have been reported.

There were initial reports of mortars landing in at least two other nearby locations shortly after 8 am (0400GMT).

In the northern city of Mosul, US troops closed all roads leading to the airport and prevented reporters from approaching the car bomb scene, reported Aljazeera.

Ambulances were seen rushing to the bomb site but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Basra violence

Elsewhere, armed men killed two Iraqi women working with British occupation troops in the southern city of Basra, said police on Monday.

Assailants drove alongside the women's car as they were driving to work and sprayed gunfire at them, said Lt. Col. Ali Kadham. Another two women in the vehicle were injured, one seriously.

Armed men have routinely targeted Iraqis working for occupation forces, describing them as collaborators.

Late on Sunday four resistance fighters were killed and two civilians injured during clashes with US occupation forces near Falluja on Sunday, reported Aljazeera's correspondent.

American troops detained three people.

Aljazeera + Agencies

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