Iraq violence takes 21 people lives

About 21 including 5 US army officials were killed and 32 were injured in firing and blast incidents

 In the central Iraqi city of Tikrit at least 13 people were killed, including nine Iraqi military personnel, and 15 were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated a car on Monday.

 Authorities say it was the latest attack in three days in the hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein.

The bomber blew up the explosives-filled car at the entrance of a complex of palaces previously used by Saddam in the Sunni-dominated city, 150 km north of Baghdad.

 Although overall levels of violence have fallen since the peak of Iraq s 2006-2007 sectarian conflict following the 2003 US led invasion that toppled Saddam, attacks on local police and military personnel have increased as the deadline for the withdrawal of US troops from the country approaches.