Bomb attacks in Musayyib and Kirkuk in Iraq kill 13

Thirteen people have been killed in two separate bomb attacks in Iraq, officials have said.

Two brothers - both policeman - and at least eight of their relatives were reported to have been killed after insurgents bombed a house in Musayyib in the south of Baghdad. Three people were also killed in Kirkuk in a separate bomb attack. There has been a rise in attacks in Iraq since US troops left last month. The Musayyib attack is said to have taken place at 0400 (0100 GMT), when several roadside bombs surrounding the house were detonated. The dead police officers were named by AFP as Ahmed and Jihad Zuwaiyin. Six children are also believed to have been killed. Many Shia Muslims live in the Musayyib area. Four people were reported to be injured and six homes nearby were also damaged. Police Brigadier General Adil Zain al-Abidine told AFP the attack in the northern city of Kirkuk was caused by a motorcycle bomb parked near a primary school in the city centre. As well as the three fatalities, five others were also injured. The violence has come amid a marked deterioration in Iraq's fragile political process. (BBC)