A SUICIDE CAR BOMB STRUCK AN IRAQI POLICE PATROL ON WEDNESDAY IN THE NORTHERN CITY OF MOSUL, KILLING AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE AND WOUNDING FOUR, POLICE SAID. THOSE KILLED INCLUDED ONE POLICE OFFICER AND A CIVILIAN, WHILE ONE POLICEMAN AND THREE CIVILIANS WERE WOUNDED, CAPT. AHMED KHALIL SAID. A ROADSIDE BOMB ALSO STRUCK A CAR CARRYING MEMBERS OF A PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANY IN KIRKUK, 290 KILOMETERS (180 MILES) NORTH OF BAGHDAD, KILLING ONE PERSON AND WOUNDING THREE OTHERS. FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVING AT THE SITE TO HELP ALSO WERE HIT BY A ROADSIDE BOMB, WHICH WOUNDED TWO OF THEM, COL. NASHAT SHAWISH SAID. IRAQI POLICE IN EASTERN BAGHDAD FOUND THE BODY OF A MAN WHO WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD, LT. RAAD ABDUL-HUSSEIN SAID. ELSEWHERE IN THE CAPITAL, GUNMEN KILLED AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DORA REFINERY IN A DRIVE-BY SHOOTING, WHILE AN INTELLIGENCE CAPTAIN IN THE INTERIOR MINISTRY WAS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED WHEN GUNMEN OPENED FIRE ON HIS CAR IN THE VOLATILE NEIGHBORHOOD, ACCORDING TO LT. MAITHEM ABDUL-RAZZAQ. A BOMB HIDDEN IN A BAG ALSO EXPLODED IN A MARKET IN CENTRAL BAGHDAD, WOUNDING SEVEN PEOPLE, LT. BILAL ALI SAID. ABOUT 1,500 IRAQI SOLDIERS, MEANWHILE, FANNED OUT NEAR A VOLATILE TOWN IN THE PROVINCE OF DIYALA AS PART OF AN OPERATION TO CLEAR THE AREA OF INSURGENTS, BRIG. GEN. AHMED AL-AWAD SAID. THE COMMANDER SAID THE OPERATION BEGAN TUESDAY IN MUQDADIYAH, ABOUT 90 KILOMETERS (60 MILES) NORTH OF BAGHDAD. FOUR CARS AND A MOTORCYCLE PACKED WITH EXPLOSIVES HAD BEEN SEIZED AND 14 SUSPECTED INSURGENTS WERE DETAINED, AL-AWAD SAID. HE ALSO SAID TWO KIDNAPPED CIVILIANS WERE RELEASED DURING THE OPERATION, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED.
