Rescue work is underway in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, June 24, 2004. At least 44 people were killed and another 216 wounded in a series of car bomb blasts in Mosul Thursday. (Xinhua Photo/Reuters)

    Rescue work is underway in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, June 24, 2004. At least 44 people were killed and another 216 wounded in a series of car bomb blasts in Mosul Thursday. (Xinhua Photo/Reuters)

    BAGHDAD, June 23 (Xinhuanet) -- Anti-America militants launched series of attacks against police and government buildings across Iraq on Thursday, killing 69 including three American soldiers, Iraqi officials said.

    The Iraqi Health Ministry said 66 people were killed and 268 people wounded in the attacks nationwide.

    But reports here said the figures released by the ministry did not include American casualties, which included at least 11 wounded.

    The attacks occurred less than a week before the US-led occupying forces are scheduled to handover the sovereignty to an interim transitional government on June 30.

    A large number of the deaths appeared to have been in Mosul, where hospital officials spoke of dozens of dead due to a series of car bombs.

    Mosul's governor imposed a curfew from 9 pm to 6 am, and the local television station urged people to stay at home.

    The heaviest fighting was seen in Baqouba, 60 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, where two American soldiers were killed and seven wounded.

    Reports here said Anti-America militants roamed the city with rocket launchers and automatic weapons, seized two police stationsand destroyed the home of the police chief of surrounding Diyala province.

    Attackers also targeted police stations in Ramadi, Mahaweel, and the northern city of Mosul, where car bombs rocked the Iraqi Police Academy, two police stations and the al-Jumhuri hospital. Enditem

Attacks kill over 60, wounding 250 in Iraq 


    BAGHDAD, June 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Simultaneous attacks and fightings in several Iraqi cities on Thursday killed at least 66 people and wounded more than 250, Iraq's health ministry said.

    The ministry said at least 44 people were killed in a series of car bomb blasts in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and 216 people wounded.

    Fightings in al-Anbar Province, where there were clashes in Fallujah and Ramadi, killed at least nine people and wounded 27, and fighting around Baqouba killed 13 and wounded 15, the ministry added. Enditem