Iraqi police and an insurgent source say at least 17 people have been killed in clashes between al-Qaida gunmen and a rival insurgent group in villages near the Iraqi city of Samarra.

The gunbattles between al-Qaida and the Islamic Army, a Sunni Arab insurgent group, broke out on Friday.

An Islamic Army source says his group's fighters killed at least 17 al-Qaida gunmen and seized 16 prisoners in the clashes. It was unclear how many, if any, Islamic Army members were killed.

Al-Qaida in Iraq has been known to have a heavy presence in the area.

In other news, Iraqi police say four civilians were killed and at least six wounded in an explosion Saturday in the northern city of Mosul.

The U.S. military says a soldier was killed in a bomb attack in Diyala province, noting three other soldiers were wounded in the blast.