One US soldier was killed and two wounded in a rocket attack on a military convoy in the northern oil center of Kirkuk, the US military said.

Iraqi residents run from a burning US military vehicle following an earlier ambush. One US soldier was killed and two wounded in a rocket attack on a military convoy in the northern oil center of Kirkuk, the US military said. [AFP]

A military spokeswoman said the dead soldier was from the 1-73rd Airborne Brigade and was killed Thursday evening by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) which was fired at the convoy near Kirkuk, 255 kilometres (153 miles) north of the capital.

She said the attack occured about 11:00 pm (1900 GMT) Thursday.

Another US soldier from the 4th Infantry Division died and one more was injured in a fire in an abandoned building near Tikrit, 175 kilometres (105 miles) north of Baghdad, she said.

It was not known whether the fire, which ignited about 7:15 pm (1515 GMT), was caused by hostile action.

US troops have been attacked almost daily since an end to major combat operations was declared on May 1, particularly in this country's north which is home to forces loyal to ousted president Saddam Hussein.

The US military also confirmed that eight Iraqi civilians were killed and 18 wounded Thursday night when a mortar bomb fell on a crowded square in Baqubah, northeast of Baghdad.

It said soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division rendered first aid and evacuated the wounded to a nearby hospital. There were no coalition casualties.

The bomb fell on the al-Burtuqala square, a teeming area filled with shops and cafes in the centre of Baqubah, 70 kilometres (40 miles) from the capital.

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