Baghdad bombings at new high

The US military says bomb attacks in Baghdad have hit an all-time high.

US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell says the number of car bombs in Baghdad, both detonated and defused, hit their highest level of the year last week and that bombs reported in general are "also at an all-time high".

Fourteen people were killed and 75 wounded when a car bomb struck a government motorcade in Baghdad on Wednesday.

Police say the Industry Minister, a Kurd, was in the motorcade but aides say no senior officials were in the convoy.

Four US soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad on Tuesday and another four US soldiers were killed in an attack near Baghdad on Wednesday.

"Four Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers died at approximately 9:00am (local time) today when terrorists attacked their patrol with indirect and small-arms fire north-west of Baghdad," the military said in a statement.

Out of a US death toll of 22 so far this month, 15 have died around Baghdad.

Maj Gen Caldwell describes it as a "hard week" for US forces, who number about 140,000 in Iraq.

US and Iraqi forces have mounted a major military operation in the past two months against militants in Baghdad.

- Reuters