Three Killed in North Iraq Attacks

Separate shootings in Iraq's main northern city of Mosul on Saturday left three people dead, including a local councilman, security and medical officials said.

In one attack, gunmen opened fire on a police checkpoint in Mosul, 350 kilometers from Baghdad, killing a policeman and a civilian, said police First Lieutenant Mohammed al-Juburi and Dr. Mahmoud Haddad at Mosul General Hospital.

In another incident, city councilor Ibrahim Yunis was gunned down outside his home in southeastern Mosul, according to Juburi and Khaled al-Rifaie, a doctor at the hospital's morgue.

Friday's unrest takes to 246 the number of people killed in attacks nationwide this month, according to an Agence France Presse tally based on reports from security and medical officials.

Violence in Iraq is markedly lower than its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common, especially in Baghdad and Mosul.