In other violence, the U.S. military said one American soldier was killed and two others wounded when their patrol struck a roadside bomb southwest of Baghdad. It also said coalition forces detained 13 suspected terrorists and seized weapons in two separate military operations around Baghdad.

Australian Defense Minister Brandan Nelson met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today in the Iraqi capital. On Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates wound up a two-day trip to the war-torn country.

Gates urged rival political factions in Iraq to work quickly to reconcile their differences. - VOA News