Eleven members of an Iraqi family, including women and children, were killed when the US forces flattened a house during a raid north of Baghdad yesterday. In other attacks, at least five Iraqis and a US soldier were killed.

The American military confirmed the attack but said only four people died - a man, two women and a child.

Police said the attack near Balad, 80km north of the Baghdad, involved warplanes and armour that flattened the house in Isahaqi village. The 11 victims were wrapped in blankets and driven in three pick-up trucks to Tikrit General Hospital, 70km to the north, relatives said.

The US military said it was targeting and captured an individual suspected of supporting foreign fighters in Iraq.

On the eve of the first session of Iraq's new parliament, vehicles were banned from Baghdad streets to prevent bombings.

PHOTO CAPTION