Bombs Strike Children, U.S. Troops in Iraq

BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber detonated his explosives as American soldiers were handing out toys to children northeast of Baghdad yesterday, killing at least three children and three of the troopers, American and Iraqi authorities said. Seven children were wounded in the attack in Baqouba. The attack, along with a series of other blasts in the capital and to the north, underlined the uncertainty of security in Iraq even as the American military said overall violence is down 55% since a troop buildup began this year.