Iraqi officials say 15 Sunni representatives are scheduled to join the committee writing the nation's constitution, clearing a major political hurdle for the Shi'ite-majority government.

The constitution committee has been held up over how many Sunnis to include in the now 71-member group. Sunni Arab representation on the committee is now roughly equal to Iraqi Kurds. A government timetable calls for the committee to write the constitution by August 15.

In Mosul Monday, an Iraqi military officer, Ahmed Muayad Abdul Qader, and a local official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Jirjis Mohammed Amin, were killed in separate incidents. In Baghdad, a car bomb blast killed at least two civilians.

The U.S. military says Iraqi and American troops in Baghdad detained at least 100 suspected insurgents in raids early Monday. A statement said several foreigners - including some Egyptians - were among those detained.