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| Iraq road bomb 'kills 16 people' | Iraq road bomb 'kills 16 people' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A roadside bomb has killed at least 16 people travelling on a bus in southern Iraq, reports say. | A roadside bomb has killed at least 16 people travelling on a bus in southern Iraq, reports say. |
| At least 22 people were also wounded in the attack. | At least 22 people were also wounded in the attack. |
| The civilian passenger bus was travelling on the Basra-Nasiriya road some 80km (50 miles) south of Nasiriya, police said. | The civilian passenger bus was travelling on the Basra-Nasiriya road some 80km (50 miles) south of Nasiriya, police said. |
| The attack came a day after eight US soldiers and an interpreter were killed in two separate incidents, the US military said. | The attack came a day after eight US soldiers and an interpreter were killed in two separate incidents, the US military said. |
| One attack took place in Diyala province, killing three soldiers and an interpreter, while five other soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in Baghdad. | One attack took place in Diyala province, killing three soldiers and an interpreter, while five other soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in Baghdad. |
| Nasser al-Jabery, provincial head of police operations in Nasiriya, said the bus was carrying pilgrims from the Shia holy city of Najaf to Basra. | |
| Earlier on Tuesday, police said four policemen, four insurgents and a civilian had been killed in a gun battle in the northern city of Mosul. | |
| US mandate | |
| Also on Tuesday, talks have started between US and Iraqi officials on the future of the US military presence in Iraq. | |
| "The two parties started today, in the ministry of foreign affairs, talks.... on agreements and arrangements for long-term co-operation and friendship, including agreement on temporary US troop presence in Iraq," the Iraqi foreign ministry said. | |
| US troops in Iraq currently operate under a United Nations mandate, but this expires at the end of the year, and the two sides are negotiating guidelines which would allow them to remain. | |
| Iraq has said it does not want the UN mandate renewed, and correspondents say the shape and size of a longer-term US presence will be a key issue. |