Baghdad shaken by fresh bombings

Iraqi police say early morning bomb attacks have killed at least 11 people in different areas of Baghdad.

A car bomb exploded on the road to the government compound known as the Green Zone killing at least five people.

Another attack in the eastern Sadr City area killed three students on a minibus as they were on their way to an exam.

The rush-hour explosions come days before US troops are due to withdraw from Iraqi cities under a security pact with the Iraqi government.

Reports say at least 62 people have been injured in Monday's bombings.

In addition to the explosions in Karrada and Sadr City, which was caused by a roadside bomb in Hamza Square, there was another roadside bombing in Shaab neighbourhood in north-east Baghdad which killed three people and wounded another 30.

There are also early reports of a suicide attack west of Baghdad, although details were not immediately available.

Attacks in and around Baghdad are common, despite an overall drop in violence in Iraq.

On Saturday, a bomb attack near the northern city of Kirkuk killed 72 people - the deadliest in Iraq for more than a year - and injured another 200.

The US plans to withdraw its troops from Iraqi cities and major towns by 30 June, and is due to end combat operations across Iraq by September 2010, leaving Iraqi security forces to cope alone.

There are concerns that anti-US insurgents may try to take advantage of the withdrawal, although the country's leaders say Iraqi forces are capable of handling internal security without US support.