Insurgent attacks in Iraq kill 2 in Mosul, Baqouba

BAGHDAD – Attackers targeted police patrols in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Sunday, killing a police officer with a grenade and injuring 14 people in a car bomb blast, authorities said.

Separately, bombs in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, killed one civilian and injured 14 others, police said.

The attacks highlight how the two cities remain hubs of insurgent activity despite big security gains in Iraq. American troops completed a withdrawal from Iraqi cities on June 30 ahead of a full U.S. withdrawal by the end of 2011.

In Mosul, police and medical officials said one officer died and six other people, including two police, were injured in grenade attacks. The 14 people injured in the car bomb included two police.

All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.