A roadside bombing killed four American soldiers in south-western Baghdad, the US command said yesterday, and 16 Iraqi government workers died in a hail of gunfire as they left work on the western edge of the capital.
The bloodshed occurred against a backdrop of talks to forge a new constitution by August 15. A draft published yesterday said Islam would be designated as the main source of legislation - a departure from the model set down by US authorities.
The US command said the soldiers from Task Force Baghdad died on Sunday night when their vehicle ran over a roadside bomb.
The 16 Iraqi government employees were killed on Monday while travelling in buses taking them from an industry ministry facility to their homes. Gunmen in two cars followed the two buses and opened fire. They wounded 27 passengers.
Officials hope that the new constitution will help take the steam out of the insurgency.
However, a draft published yesterday in the state-owned al-Sabah newspaper included several key points demanded by the majority Shias - that Islam is the main source of legislation and no law will be approved that contradicts "the rules of Islam".