Curfew imposed after police chief's 'assassination' in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Authorities imposed a curfew in Hilla on Sunday after a roadside bomb killed a provincial police chief and two other officers, an official with the Interior Ministry said.

"Today, Iraq has lost a dear son and a brave military leader, a citizen that always abided by the law, the constitution and values of rights and justice," Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said in a statement about the death of Maj. Gen. Qais al-Mamoori.

The Babel provincial police chief was traveling outside Hilla, south of Baghdad, when an explosion struck his convoy, officials said.

Two police officers were wounded in the blast.

Local provisional authorities implemented the curfew starting at 2 p.m. -- minutes after the bomb, the Interior Ministry official said, adding that the curfew will continue until further notice.

The authorities also announced a three-day mourning period after what they called the police chief's "assassination."

"This criminal act is one of a series of assassinations that took place recently in the south," Talabani said, noting that the governors of Wasit and Diwaniya provinces have been killed as well.

The assassinations have been "aimed at preventing" stability and the rule of law, he said.

Talabani condemned the "cowardly act" and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

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