(KUNA) -- At least 18 Iraqis were either killed or injured when a booby-trapped car exploded near a Al-Talabiya bridge in Cairo neighborhood north of here on Wednesday, a security source said. In a statement to KUNA, the source added that the explosion caused destruction to nearby shops and vehicles.Meanwhile in Al-Abaidi neighborhood of east Baghdad, US marines and members of the Shiite militant group, Al-Mahdi Army, exchanged fire during a US operation there. Police said five citizens were injured during the clashes and were sent to hospital for treatment.
Special polices forces also involved in clashes with militants when they fought with Sunni insurgents in Al-Sayediya neighborhood southwest of the capital which also resulted in the injury of three Iraqis. Yarmouk neighborhood west of Baghdad also witnessed some violence when a bus packed with employees was intercepted by masked gunmen who stormed the vehicle with gunfire resulting in the injury of two citizens.
Elsewhere, a roadside bomb in Al-Kradah neighborhood caused the injury of three policemen and damaged their vehicle. In Irbil, a local Kirkuk municipality member was killed by masked gunmen. In preparation for Eid Al-Adha, a joint force by the police and army will initiate a security plan to protect citizens.