100 DIE IN DAY OF CARNAGE; Iraqi police stations are targeted.

Byline: By Mark Dowdney

TERRORISTS caused carnage in cities across Iraq yesterday with a wave of bombings and sneak attacks that killed at least 100. Iraq's rookie police force struggled to cope as their officers were targeted and their stations destroyed.

US troops had to drive the attackers back. All the fighting took place in Sunni Moslem areas where Saddam Hussein still has strong support.

Washington said the attacks were designed to spread chaos in the runup to next Wednesday's handover of power to a new Iraqi government.

A senior coalition soldier said the blitz 'showed a level of co-ordination'.

Most targets were police. Many observers fear the new Iraqi officers are not ready for the extra workload they will be given after the handover.

Al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said his fanatics carried out the attacks but Iraqi officials said Saddam loyalists were also involved.

The worst bloodbath came in the northern city of MOSUL, where at least four car bombs rocked the police academy, two police stations and a hospital. Sixty-two people, including one US soldier, died and the city was virtually paralysed.

Police fled one of their bases after terrorists opened fire from a mosque.

American forces recaptured the station.

In BAQUBA, north of Baghdad, US troops fought running battles with terrorist gangs. Two Americans died when their patrol was ambushed.

Rebels roamed the city, seized two police stations and destroyed the local police chief's home.

Masked men in black seized the city's main road. In hospital, doctors stood in pools of blood and battled to cope with a stream of casualties. Iraqi officials said 11 civilians were killed.

The Americans responded to the violence by dropping three 500lb bombs on a suspected enemy position.

Helicopter gunships swooped low over the streets and US tanks rolled into the city centre. More black-clad rebels struck in RAMADI, west of Baghdad, blasting the main police station with a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades.

At least 20 people, including seven police officers, died. A second police station and a government building were attacked.

In BAGHDAD, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a security checkpoint in the south of the city. Four Iraqi soldiers were killed.

And in FALLUJAH, the worst hotspot in the 'Sunni Triangle',the crew of a US Cobra copter were rescued after they were shot downby small arms fire.

Warplanes and helicopter gunships flew low overhead as troops clashed with rebels on the outskirts of the city.

Zarqawi is believed to be holed up in Fallujah. The Americans have bombed two of his suspected hideouts there this week, killing an estimated 38 people.

The Jordanian fanatic is believed to have personally beheaded two civilian hostages in Iraq, American Nick Berg and South Korean Kim Sun-Il.

America is predicting more attacks in therun-upto June30 but officials insist the transfer of power will go ahead.

CAPTION(S):

DEVASTATION: The scene in Mosul yesterday after at least four car bombs went off, killing 62 people