A suicide bomber in the Iraqi town of Tikrit detonated his truck outside a police station Sunday, killing at least five people and wounding more than a dozen others.
In Baghdad, at least five Iraqis, including soldiers and government workers, were killed in two drive-by shootings.
To the south, witnesses in Samawah say hundreds of townspeople protesting poor public services clashed with police. At least one person was killed and more than 40 others injured in the melee.
The violence comes as Iraqi political leaders prepare for talks later today on ways to break a deadlock on a new draft constitution.
With a deadline just eight days away, Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish delegates remain deeply divided over several key issues, including the role of religion and a description of national identity in post-war Iraq.
Some information for this report provided by Reuters, AP and AFP.
