Gunmen fatally wounded a senior official of Iraq's foreign ministry in Baghdad today.
Attackers fired at the car of Mr Bassam Qubba, the director-general of the ministry, as he was on his way to work from his home in the Adhamiya district, a foreign ministry official said.
Mr Qubba, a Shi'ite Muslim from the holy city of Najaf, was appointed director-general of the ministry two months ago. He was the first senior official to be assassinated in Iraq since a new interim government took office on June 1st with a pledge to make security its top priority.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility or clear indication of supects. But US officials have said they expect insurgents, who have frequently targeted Iraqis seen as cooperating with the Americans, to step up attacks before the occupation formally ends on June 30th.
Mr Qubba was a career diplomat who had served as Iraq's ambassador to China during Saddam Hussein's rule.