Baghdad, Kurds said to reach security agreement

"We hope that both sides will adhere to this agreement. What we need is a hard and sincere effort to reach a permanent solution to the problem of the disputed areas," he said.

Meanwhile, police said gunmen shot dead five policemen after storming a trailer where security personnel were sleeping next to a checkpoint just south of Baghdad.

A doctor in a nearby hospital confirmed the death toll. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to media.

Although violence in Iraq has ebbed, insurgent attacks are still frequent.

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Associated Press Writer Sinan Salaheddin and Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report.