Baghdad - Iraq will sign a long-term security agreement with the US only if the latter agrees to compromise on Iraqi-proposed amendments, the semi-official al-Sabah newspaper said Thursday.

The Iraqi government had handed the US embassy in Baghdad an amended draft on Tuesday, although both parties had agreed in mid- October that the last draft was final.

The changes proposed by the cabinet would clarify under what circumstances US troops would be answerable to Iraqi law.

Damascus - The US embassy in Damascus is closing for one day on Thursday for security reasons, according to the embassy's website.

New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Wednesday on Middle Eastern countries to cooperate to resolve issues such as border security following the reported US air raid inside Syria.

"The secretary general deeply regrets the loss of civilian lives in this incident and reiterates his earlier call for the need for regional cooperation to solve issues of common concern, including border security," UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.

Damascus - The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned on Wednesday the US charge d'affaires in protest at a military raid on Syria, Syrian news agency SANA reported.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it was waiting for clarification from the Iraqi and US governments on the raid that killed eight people near Syria's border with Iraq. Syria called the raid "unacceptable for Syria's sovereignty" and said it could take measures in response. No further details were given.

Baghdad - Three children were killed on Wednesday and 14 people were injured when al-Qaeda militants attacked a home in Iraq's restive city of Baquba, reported the Voices of Iraq VOI news agency.

The deceased were all the children of Abdel Karim, a leader of the Awakening Council movement, which is a collection of Sunni units that collaborate with US forces in fighting militants from the al-Qaeda terrorist network in Iraq.

Seven women were among those injured in the attack, which occurred in the city's Baladruz district. Baquba, the capital of the Diyala province, is about 60 kilometres north of Baghdad.

Also in Diyala, another Awakening Council member died of wounds caused by an explosion in the Abu Sida district, the report said.

Baghdad - Three children were killed on Wednesday and another 14 people were injured when al-Qaeda attacked a home in the restive city of Baquba, reported the Voices of Iraq VOI news agency.

The deceased were all children of Abdel Karim, a leader of the Awakening Council movement, which is a collection of Sunni units that collaborate with the United States to fight militants from the al- Qaeda terrorist network in Iraq.