Four Iraqi Guards Killed, Three US Soldiers Wounded In Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Aug 9 (AFP) - Four Iraqi security guards were killed and nine other people wounded, including three US soldiers, when insurgents attacked the district council building in Baghdad`s Shiite Muslim stronghold of Sadr City, the US military said Monday.
It said insurgents attacked the council building at about 1:30 pm (0930 GMT) Sunday.
"The building received rocket-propelled-grenade fire and small-arms fire," its statement said.
On Monday, mortars were fired at the same building, but no casualties were immediately reported.
The Iraqi government, meanwhile, imposed a curfew in Sadr City between 4:00 pm (1200 GMT) and 8:00 am (0400 GMT), an interior ministry spokesman said.
"The curfew will be on during this period till further notice," said Sabah Kadhim.
"The decision was taken after considering the security situation in Sadr City which has been witnessing violence in the last few days."
Abu Moqtada, a local leader with radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr`s Mehdi Army, told AFP the militia had fired 10 to 15 mortars at the building on Monday.
"As long as we continue to fight with the government, incidents like this will happen," he told AFP.
Militiamen prowled the streets armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and an AFP correspondent saw four US tanks outside the district hall.