Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived on his first visit to Iran as head of the Baghdad government for talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, AFP reported. Maliki, leading a large delegation including MPs and Iraq's national security advisory Muwaffak al-Rubaie for the two-day visit, went into talks with Ahmadinejad shortly after arrival, officials said.
Back at home, Iraqi gunmen have attacked the only Shiite mosque in a town northeast of Baghdad. Police said seven people died and three hurt in last night's attack in the town (Bani Saad) 35 miles northeast of the Iraqi capital. Police said attackers launched six mortar rounds at the mosque then planted explosives around the mosque and detonated them.