A roadside bomb struck an Iraqi police commando patrol in central Baghdad on Saturday morning, killing three commando members, an Interior Ministry source said.

A roadside bomb went off near a police commando patrol near a cinema in Baghdad's Alawi neighborhood, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The blast damaged a police vehicle, killing the three commando members aboard, and caused damages in the nearby buildings and shops, the source said.

Iraqi security forces and ambulances rushed to the scene to evacuate casualties.

Violence has mounted despite the formation of a new unity government in the war-torn country after three years of the U.S.- led invasion.

Source: Xinhua