At least 15 more Iraqi police and national guardsmen have been killed, as insurgents press their campaign to disrupt upcoming national elections.
A suicide car-bomb explosion in Baghdad near the headquarters of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's political party killed two police and a civilian and wounded more than 20 people. North of the capital, U.S. authorities say a car bombing near a U.S. military base in Balad killed four Iraqi guardsmen and wounded 14.
In Tikrit, six guardsmen were reported killed by roadside bombs, and two more Iraqi officers were killed at a checkpoint in the nearby town of Baiji. Separately, officials say a policeman was killed in Mosul when he tried to move a decapitated body that was rigged with explosives. Security officials say they expected an increase in insurgent attacks before January 30th elections.
