A car bomb explosion in Baghdad has killed at least 14 people and wounded 40 others as they left a Shi'ite mosque following Friday prayers.
Authorities say another car bomb (Friday) killed several people at a Shi'ite wedding party in a town south of Baghdad.
Attacks on Iraq's majority Shi'ites have increased with the approach of the January 30th elections, and terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has denounced Shi'ites for helping U.S. troops.
Separately, U.S. officials said an American soldier was killed earlier today (Friday) during a raid on a bomb-making militant cell in Duluiyah, north of Baghdad. And an Italian soldier was killed in southern Iraq after his helicopter was hit by enemy fire.
Information for this report is provided by AP, Reuters and AFP.