Police sacked after Baghdad bombs

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The Iraqi government has sacked two senior policemen in a Baghdad district where more than 50 people have been killed in bomb attacks in four days.

One was responsible for checkpoints into the Karrada district and the other was the local brigade commander.

Separately, coalition forces carrying out raids throughout Iraq have detained 18 suspects.

One suspect was wanted by coalition forces in connection with a militant group associated with al-Qaeda in Iraq.

The US military said a roadside bomb killed one of its soldiers on Thursday, the first reported military death of October.

The bomb exploded near his vehicle near the city of Amarah, 200 miles (300 kilometres) south-east of Baghdad.

Overall violence is at a four-year low in Iraq, but military officials say insurgent cells are still active and able to carry out bomb attacks.

Suicide bombers struck two Shia Muslim mosques in Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 24 people.

The victims were gathering for prayers at two mosques to celebrate the Muslim Eid al-Fitr feast.

The government has declared a six-day public holiday for the Eid, which Sunni and Shia Muslims generally celebrate on different days in Iraq.