Five killed in central Iraq clashes

DIWANIYAH: At least five people were killed when Shiite militiamen ambushed an Iraqi army patrol on Tuesday in the central city of Diwaniyah, officials said.

Two women were among the dead and another 14 people were wounded, including four teenage girls, according to a security official.

The fighting began when gunmen opened fire on the patrol in the northern part of the predominantly Shiite city, setting a Humvee alight. Explosions and gunfire spread across neighbouring areas.

"Two police cars have been burned and ambulances cannot reach the area," a police official said shortly after the fighting began. He later added that five houses and 15 civilian vehicles had been destroyed.

Hamid Jaati, the local director of public health, said he had appealed to the city authorities to allow ambulances into the battle zone as he feared there were civilian casualties.

After a few hours the fighting calmed down and ambulances were being allowed in to evacuate the wounded.

The attacks came as secondary schools across the city were administering graduate placement exams.

Salman al-Sheikh Bakr, a high ranking education official, said at least four examination centres were hit by exchanges of fire and that several people had been wounded.

Although Diwaniyah, about 180 kilometres south of Baghdad, has not seen the same level of sectarian killings as the Iraqi capital there has been a rash of fighting there between rival Shiite militias, many of whom have infiltrated Iraqi forces.