BAGHDAD — Despite intense U.S. pressure, Iraqi leaders failed Sunday to resolve differences over how to govern the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
Also Sunday, a truck bomb exploded in a Sunni area of northern Baghdad, killing 12 people, wounding 23 and raising concern about a revival of sectarian conflict.
Parliament had called a special session Sunday to try to reach agreement on a bill authorizing elections in all 18 Iraqi provinces. But the session never convened because intensive talks among party and legislative leaders were unable to produce agreement on a formula that would satisfy Arab, Kurdish and Turkoman demands for governing Kirkuk.
U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and U.N. special representative Staffan de Mistura met late Sunday with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other top leaders to try to hammer out an agreement that could be submitted to parliament.
The U.S. military also said two American soldiers were killed in noncombat incidents Saturday. A total of three soldiers were injured in the two incidents, it said.
