Another five Iraqis died from injuries sustained in Saturday's suicide bomb attacks in Karbala, bringing the death toll to 18, a local official said in Baghdad Sunday. 

The official put the number of Iraqis wounded in the attack at 160, on top of 24 coalition soldiers wounded, bringing the overall number of wounded to more than 180.

Six coalition soldiers, four Bulgarians and two Thais, were also killed in the serial attacks around Karbala, 100 km south of Baghdad.

On Saturday, insurgents used car bombs, mortars and small gun fires to attack two coalition military bases and the city council in Karbala, dealing the first heavy blow to the 9,000 strong Polish-led multinational forces deployed in central southern Iraq.

It also appeared to be the first insurgent offensive that inflicted death toll on Bulgarian and Thai troops, no more than 500 both, operating in the war-torn country.

Despite the huge casualties, Polish and Thai governments have indicated that their decisions to help the US ally with the mission in Iraq will go on.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2003)