Two killed American soldiers Baghdad hit by bombs

Baghdad (Reuters) - a series of attacks have killed at least 15 people and injured 74 more through Baghdad Sunday and two US soldiers were killed in the Iraq Centre, officials said.

Iraq violence has dropped significantly since the height of sectarian conflict four years ago, but the bombings, assassinations and attacks occur every day while the remaining US troops prepare to withdraw countries later this year.

At least 11 Iraqi soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his car among a group of soldiers investigating another car bomb outside a control point in the main street at Taji, 20 kilometres (12 miles) North of Baghdad, said the security of the capitaleQasim spokesman major-general al-Moussawi.

"Two vehicles exploded at Taji". The first was a parked car bomb. They were trying to defuse, when another driver himself jumping, "he says.

Two US soldiers were killed Sunday during operations in the Centre of the Iraq, the US military said in a press release with no other information of when or how they died.

Police and Iraqi security forces is often targeted by insurgents that Washington is preparing to withdraw the last American troops end of the year, more than eight years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein from power.

On Sunday, four bombs and bomb car parked also aimed an Amil District, Southwest Baghdad Iraqi Federal Police base, killing two civilians and injuring 15, including three police officers, a security official said.

Two other people were killed and seven were injured by an another bomb planted near the Hospital of Sadr City, in Northeast Baghdad.

Iraqi forces take total control of security at the end of this year, when the remaining 47 000 U.S. troops are scheduled to leave the Iraq. US troops are currently in training and advising the Iraqi forces.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Iraqi forces are ready to contain internal threats. But he called on the major political parties of the Iraq to discuss the sensitive issue of whether to extend the presence of a few American soldiers.

Some officials have suggested a small army U.S. remain to help the Iraqis in areas such as intelligence and security at the border. But already the idea of US troops remaining sparked street demonstrations.

Three other soldiers were also killed Sunday by a bomb attached to their Iraqi army vehicle in the town of Tuz Khurmato (105 miles) 170 km north of Baghdad, said police.

Three bombs targeting security forces killed 27 people week last in the city of Kirkuk oil, an area disputed with an Arab population and mixed Kurdish and a potential flashpoint after American troops leave.

At least 18 killed in combat in Baghdad prison: official

Baghdad  - at least 18 people were killed in fighting between security officers and prisoners in a prison in the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior complex in Baghdad on Sunday, a security officer, said.

The dead included an al Qaeda leader known as the "Emir of Baghdad" which planned an attack on a Catholic Church last October in which more than 50 people died, said Major General Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman for the security of Baghdad.

The skirmish to a central unit to fight against terrorism in the Karrada district of Baghdad began when a prisoner grabbed a gun from a guard, killed several guards and officers of the Ministry of the Interior and has given a weapon to other inmatessaid Moussawi.

"The guards and security forces responded to the prison of the Department of the fight against terrorism and killed 11 terrorist prisoners... including Huthaifa al-Batawi, the Emir of Baghdad, which was responsible for the planning of the Church attack," said Moussawi.

Moussawi said seven security officers were killed in the skirmish and another was wounded.

Batawi was arrested with 11 other late November for the assault on October 31 on the Church of our Lady of salvation during the Sunday mass. Dozens of hostages and police died when Iraqi forces attempted to free the Catholic hostage more than 100.

The attack was the bloodiest against the Christian minority in the Iraq since the invasion led by the United States in 2003.

Moussawi, said the situation in the prison was under control and some prisoners had escaped.

Since on Iraqi security forces high alert for revenge attacks by al-Qaida U.S. commandos killed the leader of the Group of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan Monday.