Three Iraqi army soldiers were killed and seven policemen and two civilians were wounded when a suicide car bomber struck a checkpoint in Dhuluiyah town north of Baghdad on Saturday, a police source said.

The attack occurred at 1:35 p.m. (0935 GMT) when the suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden minibus into the joint Iraqi army and police checkpoint, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Initial report said two policemen were injured in the blast.

Meanwhile, a car bomb went off near a U.S. military patrol at around 2:00 p.m. (1000 GMT) in Khadraa district in western Baghdad, police said, without saying whether the attack inflicted any casualties on U.S. soldiers.

Witnesses said that a suicide car bomber blew his black Daewoo up at a police checkpoint while the U.S. military convoy was passing.

Source: Xinhua