A senior member of Iraq's Governing Council was shot and seriously wounded when her convoy came under attack earlier today.
Akila al-Hashemi, one of three women on the 25-member Council, was attacked outside of her home in western Baghdad.
A hospital official in the city said four men - her two brothers and two bodyguards - were also wounded. Hashimi underwent abdominal surgery before being moved to a secret location.
It's not clear who was responsible for carrying out the attack which is the first attempted assassination on a member of the US installed administration.
Nurses at Baghdad's Yarmuk Hospital said Akila al-Hashemi, a Shi'ite Muslim and career diplomat, had been shot in the abdomen. She was later removed to a US army medical facility.
Annan condemns assasination atemptUN Secretary General Kofi Annan has condemned the assassination attempt on a member of Iraq's US-appointed governing council. Mr Annan said through his spokesman Fred Eckhard that the attack on Akila al-Hashimi, who had been due to attend the UN general debate with the Iraqi delegation this week, showed that security concerns remained in the country.
Blast in FallujahAn explosion and an exchange of small arms gunfire were heard in Fallujah today after hundreds of US troops and vehicles were deployed there.
The explosion was heard across Fallujah, 50km west of Baghdad, when it detonated at about 7.20am, and gunfire erupted immediately afterwards.
The explosion occurred shortly after the main highway and a second access route, both linking the capital to Fallujah, were re-opened after being cut by hundreds of troops and vehicles entering the city.
Troops had blocked the exit and entry points to Fallujah at about 7.00am, but the roads were re-opened after 9.00am as the troop convoys divided into two lines and were deployed to separate bases on the southern and western perimeters of the city.
US soldiers regularly come under attack in Fallujah, a region where loyalty to Saddam Hussein has created problems for US occupation forces.
A week ago, the US military issued an apology after nine security guards from Fallujah were killed when troops opened fire as the guards were apparently engaged in a high-speed car chase.
Last Sunday, one US soldier was killed and another three wounded in Fallujah when the convoy they were traveling in was hit by a roadside bomb.
