A suicide car bomber blew himself up next to an Iraqi police patrol in central Baghdad today, killing at least four people, police sources said.
The blast echoed across central Baghdad and thick black smoke rose from burning vehicles.
Insurgents have stepped up suicide and car bombings since Iraq's new cabinet was announced on April 28th, killing more than 400 people in violence that has piled pressure on the government to deliver on promises of stability.
Thousands of Iraqi police and security forces have been killed by insurgents since a US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.