Iraqi police officials say attacks by gunmen in Baghdad have left three people dead, including two policemen.

The officials say one attack took place early Saturday, Oct 20, when gunmen opened fire on a police patrol in the Shiite neighborhood of al-Shaab, killing two policemen and wounding another.

In downtown Karradah, gunmen on Friday night attacked the house of a police lieutenant colonel who worked with the State Identity Directorate, killing him, the officials added.

Health officials at nearby hospitals confirmed the death toll. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

Violence has ebbed in Iraq since the peak of the bloodletting in 2005-2008, but insurgents still frequently attack government officials and security forces in an attempt to undermine the Shiite-led government.