At least 23 people have been killed in the ongoing violence in Iraq.
Police said 14 people, mostly women and children, were killed in a bomb explosion and clashes in the town of Baiji, north of Baghdad. Up to 26 people were wounded.
And it is reported that nine Iraqis were killed and 15 wounded in clashes between US troops and insurgents in the city of Ramadi.
The violence comes as US forces have pressed on with a campaign to pacify the northern city of Mosul.
US-led forces have also been bombarding southern districts of Fallujah with mortar fire in an attempt to flush out remaining pockets of insurgents.
A full-scale ground offensive was launched in Fallujah nine days ago.
'World is more dangerous': Chirac
Meanwhile, French President Jacques Chirac has said the US-led invasion of Iraq has made the world a more dangerous place.
In a BBC interview, Mr Chirac said he regarded the removal of Saddam Hussein as positive to a certain extent.
However, he said the invasion had also provoked reaction from Islamic militants which had made the world more dangerous.
The president said he believed that Britain's support for the US-led war had brought few dividends.
Mr Chirac was speaking ahead of a visit to Britain next week.
