A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol in eastern Baghdad Friday killed two people and injured six, police said. The explosion took place in the Zayouna area, and the wounded included three policemen, police 1st Lt. Bilal Ali Majid said.
On Thursday, six bombings targeted police patrols, leaving 17 people dead and dozens wounded.
South of Baghdad in the city of Musayyib, three mortar rounds landed on a procession of pilgrims heading to the Shiite holy city of Karbala for a religious ceremony, killing at least two and wounding 23, five of whom were critically injured, Musayyib police said.
Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda in Iraq released on Thursday the first audiotape by its new leader, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, in which he vowed victory was coming and condemned Sunnis cooperating with the Iraqi government.
The 20-minute tape was posted on an Islamic Web forum.
He ended the tape by saying, "servant of the mujahedeen, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, Abdul-Menem al-Badawi."
Al-Muhajer threatened new attacks against U.S. occupation forces and their Iraqi allies and addressed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, saying, "We are still sticking to our obligation."
"The fire in our blood will never cool, and the swords that have been colored with your blood are still thirsty for more of your rotten heads," he said.
He urged his followers "not to rest until each one of you kill at least one American within the next 15 days, by a sniper bullet, spear, explosive or martyrdom car."
He also addressed two Sunni political parties that are participating in the Iraqi government - the Iraqi Islamic Party and the Accordance Front - noting they "lied ... and have betrayed your nation."
