At least four people were killed Thursday in two separate attacks north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, said police, amid rising sectarian and political tensions in the country, dpa reported.
Three soldiers were killed and five injured when unknown gunmen attacked a security checkpoint in al-Dulaya, 170 kilometres north of Baghdad.
One civilian was killed and seven wounded in a bomb blast in Baquba, 60 kilometres north-east of Baghdad, police said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Iraq has seen a recent surge in violence targeting Shiite Muslims and security forces, as tensions between the Shiite-led government and the Sunni minority widen.
Sunnis have for two months been calling on Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who is a Shiite, to repeal laws they say are used to target them.