A trio of attacks targeting Iraqi security forces have killed at
least 18 people and wounded dozens more in locations near the
capital Baghdad, officials have said.  The deadliest incident
was near the southern town of al-Shumali where a car bomb
exploded in front of a restaurant frequented by security
officers, killing 13 people and wounding many more, officials
and medics said.  Al-Shumali is just south of Hillah, located
about 90km south of Baghdad. It is also a popular resting place
for Shia Muslim pilgrims headed to the holy shrine of the Imam
al-Hamza, located 4km south of the town.  Later on Wednesday
morning, two soldiers were killed and 11 were wounded in a blast
at a military camp near the town of Habbaniyah, 80km west of
Baghdad, Iraqi officials said on condition of anonymity.
Explosives were detonated on a minibus that was carrying
soldiers to a training area in western Iraq's Anbar province,
they said.  "The soldiers finished their academic training and a
bus took them to have breakfast at the r