Gunmen shot three people dead and a roadside bomb killed two more in Iraq Wednesday in a streak of violence that has hit the nation as U.S. troops prepare to end their combat operations.
On Wednesday, officials say gunmen killed three people outside their homes in Diyala province.
Also, a bomb blast near a courthouse in the northern city of Tikrit killed two people and wounded at least two others. Officials say at least one of the victims killed was a security officer.
The attacks come one day after a suicide bomber killed nearly 60 people and left 125 injured at an army recruitment station in Baghdad.
The violence is the latest in a series of attacks testing the mettle of Iraqi security forces who have been working to increase their size before U.S. troops end their combat operations later this month.
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Middle East expert Joost Hiltermann discusses the recent violence in Iraq:
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The White House said Tuesday that the suicide bombing at the army recruitment station will not affect the U.S. timetable for withdrawing forces from the country.
Deputy press secretary Bill Burton said there are "obviously" those who want to sideline Iraq's advancements towards democracy but the U.S. remains confident it is "moving toward the end" of its combat mission.
U.S. President Barack Obama has set a goal of removing all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011.
Also Tuesday, an explosion killed 10 people and wounded at least 46 in the Baghdad neighborhood of Ur.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
