Three soldiers, a policeman and a journalist were among eight people killed Saturday in attacks in Iraq, security officials said.

In the capital's Palestine Street, unidentified gunmen opened fire with guns equipped with silenders, killing three soldiers guarding a checkpoint and wounding two civilians, an interior ministry official said.

He said a policeman was killed the same way in Zayuna, a district of eastern Baghdad.

In Taji, north of Baghdad, three civilians were killed by a roadside bomb.

In Baquba, northeast of the capital, a bomb in a cafe killed journalist Faisal Hamza Hussein and wounded seven people, including two policemen, a provincial security official said.

Eight Iraqi journalists have been killed this year. On Thursday, Hadi al-Mehdi, a radio journalist critical of the government, was found murdered in his apartment in Baghdad.

Iraq's anti-corruption chief caves to pressure, resigns
Baghdad (AFP) Sept 10, 2011 - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki accepted the resignation on Saturday of the country's anti-corruption chief, the premier's office said.

Rahim Hassan al-Uqailee submitted his resignation on Thursday following pressure from political parties, whom he accuses of trying to cover up corruption, an aide had said.

"Responding to a written desire by the head the Integrity Commission, Judge Rahim Hassan al-Uqailee, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki accepted the request," the premier's office said.

Uqailee, 44, headed the anti-corruption watchdog since January 2008. In February, he accused ministers of trying to sweep corruption under the rug instead of fighting it, saying a lot of dirty money was going to fund insurgents.

International corruption watchdog Transparency International ranks Iraq among the world's four most corrupt countries.

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