17 killed in spate of attacks in central Iraq

BAGHDAD, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A series of attacks against the Iraqi security forces in central Iraq on Wednesday killed a total of 17 people and wounded 53 others, the police said.

The deadliest attack occurred in Babil province during morning rush hours when a car bomb detonated outside a popular restaurant in the town of al-Shomaly southeast of the provincial capital city of Hilla, some 110 km south of Baghdad, killing 11 people and wounding 41 others, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The powerful blast destroyed the entire front of the restaurant which often frequented by Iraqi security forces, the source said, adding that most of the victims were civilians, including women and children.

In Iraq's Anbar province, four Iraqi soldiers were killed and 11 others wounded when a bomb attached to a military bus went off at the military base of Habbaniyah, some 70 km west of Baghdad, a source from Anbar's operations command told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The attack took place near a restaurant in Habbaniyah base when the soldiers finished their training and a bus took them to have breakfast at the restaurant, the source said.

Earlier, the command put the toll at 15 soldiers killed and 20 wounded, citing military reports on the site of the incident, but later the command said that the toll was less after they checked with Habbaniyah military hospital where the victims have been evacuated.

The incident is under investigation, the source added.

In a separate incident, two policemen were killed and another wounded when gunmen using silenced weapons opened fire on their checkpoint in Baghdad northern district of Qahira, a police source anonymously told Xinhua because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Iraqi security forces sealed off the scene and carried out investigation into the incident, the source said.

Insurgents' attacks against Iraqi security forces have been increased in the Iraqi cities as the Iraqi forces are preparing to take over control of security alone after the proposed departure of U.S. troops by the end of the year withdrawal deadline.

Iraqi officials frequently said that Iraqi security forces are capable of maintaining internal security, but they warned that they cannot yet to provide security on the country's borders.

U.S. military forces are to pull out completely from Iraq by the end of 2011, according to security pact, named Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), signed late in 2008 between Baghdad and Washington.