Suicide bombers strike at US base in Iraq

 
Three US soldiers wounded in coordinated attack on US base in central Iraq, five killed in car bomb attack on town hall in north of country.

 
SAMARRA, Iraq - Three suicide bombers attacked a US base in central Iraq Monday, wounding three US soldiers, the US military said.

In a coordinated attack on the base at around 7:00 am (0300 GMT) "two car bombs were detonated at the perimeter of the base, killing their suicide drivers," the military said in a statement.

As soldiers responded to the attack, a third suicide bomber, this time wearing a vest with explosives, walked up to the scene.

Soldiers shot at him and he "detonated his explosive vest, killing himself" but causing no other injury or damage, the military added.

In a separate attack also in Samarra, 125 kilometres (75 miles) north of Baghdad, two Iraqi soldiers were killed and one was wounded Monday morning when insurgents fired 10 mortar bombs at a joint army-police base, army captain Salam Hadi said.

Small arms fire could also be heard in the town early Monday, as US helicopters flew over the city.

In northern Iraq, five people were killed and eight wounded Monday morning in a car bomb attack on a town hall, police said.

A pick-up truck, driven by a suicide bomber, exploded outside the town hall in Tuz Khurmatu, some 70 kilometres (45 miles) south of Kirkuk, police captain Imad Abdallah said.

One of those hurt was identified as Ahmed Mahmud, a local representative of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of the main Kurdish political factions, PUK officials said.

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