The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Baghdad

A roadside bomb exploded near a minibus south of Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding nine, police said.

The minibus was carrying passengers from Baghdad to the predominantly Shiite city of Hillah at about 6:30 a.m. when it was struck by the explosion, police said. The attack occurred in Iskandariyah, 30 miles from Baghdad.

Travelers on the main highway linking the two cities have frequently suffered attacks in the mainly Sunni southern belts of Baghdad, although the volatile area seen a recent lull in violence as local Sunni tribal leaders joined forces with U.S.-led forces against al-Qaida in Iraq.