A second suicide car bomber struck near a US military convoy in Mosul this afternoon, injuring at least four Iraqis, within hours of an attack that killed five Iraqis and injured three.
There was no immediate report by the US military on the attacks, which occurred before an expected visit by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to the city later today.
The latest attack occurred at about 4pm local time in the old Al-Sinaai neighbourhood on the western side of the city when the suicide bomber detonated his charge near a US military patrol.
The earlier attack happened at about 2pm in the central Al-Muthana neighbourhood as a US convoy passed by.
That explosion left a hole in the road, with the remains of the vehicle and the suicide bomber strewn nearby. Two other vehicles were reduced to twisted metal and several nearby buildings badly damaged.
Since November, Mosul has become a new front for the insurgency, with nearly daily assassinations of Iraqi officials and security force members and car bombings against US and Iraqi forces.
Mr Rumsfeld earlier warned the country's new leaders of the dangers of political purges and cronyism.
Mr Rumsfeld said they could lead to corruption or a lack of confidence in government.
He also said the United States opposed any move to delay the political schedule in Iraq.
The schedule includes drafting a new constitution by mid-August and national elections next December.
