Zarqawi's group, formerly known as Tawhid and Jihad, has been blamed in numerous suicide car bombings and beheadings of foreign hostages, including deadly twin bombings inside Baghdad's highly secured Green Zone, which houses the U.S. and Iraqi leadership. The Islamic Army of Iraq has claimed responsibility for the August abduction of French journalists Christian Chesnot, 37, and George Malbrunot, and other kidnappings. In near-simultaneous attacks Monday in the northern city of Mosul, suicide car bombers struck provincial government offices and a military convoy, the U.S. military said. Three government employees were killed and one injured at the offices and an Iraqi general was slightly injured in the attack on the convoy, a government spokesman said. Insurgent attacks across Iraq have increased by 25 percent since the holy month of Ramadan began two weeks ago. Attacks on U.S. and coalition forces averaged 56 a day last month _ down from a high of 87 in August. --More 0010 Local Time 2110 GMT
