Attacks kill 21 in Iraq amid rising sectarian tension

Twenty-one people were killed Tuesday in a string of attacks across central and northern Iraq, in a new wave of violence amid rising sectarian and political tension in the country, dpa reported.

The attacks have mostly targeted Sunni-dominated and mixed cities.

Six people died and 16 were injured in a suicide bombing in the Sunni-dominated al-Mahmodiya, 30 kilometres south of the capital Baghdad, police said.

The bomber, driving a car packed with explosives, blew himself up at a police checkpoint, killing four civilians and two police officers.

In Baquba, 60 kilometres north-east of Baghdad, a member of the Sahwa militias was killed by gunmen.

The Sahwa, or Awakening Councils, are made up of former Sunni insurgents who now support the government in its fight against al-Qaeda.

A prominent Sunni tribal sheikh, named as Sabar Ahmed al-Abbasi, was killed outside Samaraa, when armed men opened fire on his car with machine-guns. His brother escaped with injuries, police said.

Though Samaraa, which is located 120 kilometres north of Baghdad, is famous for its Shiite holy sites, the town is dominated by Sunnis.

Deadly attacks have been on the rise in Iraq over the past year, partly as a result of the withdrawal of US troops in December 2011, as well as the political deadlock between the Shiite-led government and the country's Sunni minority.

Thousands of Sunni protesters have been rallying for more than three weeks against Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, demanding a repeal of laws they claim target Sunnis.

Five people were killed and 17 injured in a car bombing in a marketplace in Baghdad's north-western al-Shuala district.

In the northern city of Mosul, home to one of the most diverse mix of ethnic and religious groups in Iraq, two policemen were killed and five people injured in clashes between security forces and gunmen.

In Kirkuk, the brother-in-law of a prominent Turkmen politician was killed by gunmen.

Six Kurdish security officers were also injured in an explosion in the city, where Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen have been vying for control since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In Biji city, four refinery employees and a policemen were killed by gunmen who stole their salaries before escaping. Security forces recovered the money but were unable to capture the perpetrators.

Militants in Iraq have been believed to use robberies to fund themselves, with either stealing cash or jewellery shops.