Baghdad  - Iraqi government forces killed three al-Qaeda members west of Mosul and arrested three others, the Iraqi Defence Ministry said Thursday.

Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency that the three slain suspects were a Yemeni, an Iraqi and a Saudi, identified as Hammoud Aqlan, who blew himself using an explosive belt in Nineveh province.

Also in the northern province, a civilian was killed and three others wounded as bystanders near a police patrol when it was attacked by gunmen.

In west Baghdad, two civilians were killed and five others wounded when a bomb exploded near al-Samarrai mosque in the Amil district, according to security forces.

Another bomb exploded in west Baghdad, targeting a police patrol, leaving one police officer dead and three others wounded, VOI reported.

Meanwhile, the death toll in an ambush targeting a police patrol and members of the Iraqi Awakening Councils on Wednesday evening rose to 28, including 11 council members, medical sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa on Thursday.

The ambush occurred Wednesday near al-Dalimat village in Diyala province, 57 kilometres north-east of Baghdad. Sources said that the attackers killed a police officer before opening fire on the patrol, and police issued a statement blaming al-Qaeda for the attack. Two high-ranking officials were also among the dead.

The Iraqi Awakening Councils are a loose association of Sunni leaders allied with US forces. (dpa)