Militants detonated a car bomb at a Baghdad military headquarters on Sunday and then tried to shoot their way into the building, killing eight people and wounding 29 in a brazen morning attack.
Immediately after the car exploded, gunmen assaulted the headquarters, battling the building's guards in a 15 minute firefight in downtown Baghdad, according to police officials.
Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari told a news agency that some of the gunmen were wearing explosives belts and were planning a second blast.
"The plan was to strike twice," he said. "First with a car bomb and then with suicide bombers."
Police and hospital officials said two people were killed by the blast and then six more died in the ensuing firefight. There were five soldiers among the dead.
Security has been high in Baghdad in past days in anticipation of a new wave of attacks to mark the change in the US mission. Insurgents have intensified their strikes on Iraqi police and soldiers, making August the deadliest month for Iraqi security personnel in two years.
The building attacked on Sunday is the headquarters for the Iraqi Army's 11th Division and an army recruitment center. In mid-August, the building was targeted by a suicide bomber who killed 61 people lined up outside on a recruiting day trying to get jobs.
The Iraqi security forces are now solely responsible for protecting the country after President Barack Obama declared an end to US combat operations on Wednesday. Many, however, doubt that Iraq's police and army are a match for the well-armed insurgency determined to bring down the Shiite-led government.