Three men trying to plant a bomb outside local government offices in northern Iraq were killed when it exploded prematurely, the mayor of Hawija and police said on Friday. Subhan Khalaf Ali, said the bomb exploded early on Friday morning in nearby Riyadh, which is part of his constituency and 50 km (30 miles) south west of Kirkuk. He said the attackers identities had not been confirmed.
| "We are still collecting body parts, then we'll try to assemble them into something that can be identified. Could take awhile." |
In a separate incident, police in Hawija said U.S. soldiers opened fire on a group of men trying to rob the technical institute in the town on Thursday night. One of the thieves was killed and one wounded, they said. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military. |