Baghdad - Armed men blew up the house of Iraqi lawmaker Mithal al-Alusy in west Baghdad Monday, nearly four years after one of several assassination attempts on his life resulted in the death of his two sons.

There were no fatalities in the explosion, since the house was empty at the time, but it was extensively damaged, security sources said.

The Sunni Muslim lawmaker is a secular politician who leads the Iraqi Nation Party.

He courted controversy when he visited Israel in 2004 while a member of the then interim Governing Council.

Al-Alusy made no secret of his visit, which prompted the council to remove him from his post.

The politician, who is known for his pro-US views and anti-Iranian statements, won a parliamentary seat in the 2005 parliamentary elections.

Al-Alusy has escaped several assassination attempts, including the one in which his two sons were killed four years ago. He has lived in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone since then. (dpa)