At least five police officers were killed in Iraq by a powerful explosion, as the heavily-guarded Green Zone in central Baghdad was attacked with mortars by militants, security sources reported on Monday.

In the eastern Iraqi town of Khanaqin, at least five servicemen died and four were injured when an explosive device went off as a police patrol passed by, reports from the city located near Iraq’s border with Iran said.

During the early hours of Monday, the heavily-protected Green Zone in Baghdad was attacked with mortars by unknown perpetrators, the Iraqi police said.

Iraq’s government is headquartered in the area, along with the American and British embassies. The region has been targeted by numerous attacks since fierce waves of violence began sweeping Baghdad.

In other news, Iraqi prominent political figures are due to meet with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in order to debate the recent developments that increased the government’s instability and analyze requests made by several factions.

This meeting comes after five ministers from the Sunni Iraqi Accord Front along with deputy prime minister Salam al-Zaubai said they will withdraw from al-Maliki’s cabinet because of the government’s failure to meet some of their bloc’s demands.

Their resignation has been preceded by that of six ministers from the Sadrist Movement led by influential religious Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr. The cleric said that all foreign troops should withdraw from Iraq and demanded Premier al-Maliki to establish a schedule for their retreat.

Al-Maliki is due to name new ministers to replace the six Sadrists, but when he was asked about replacements for the Iraqi Accord Front ministers the premier expressed his hope “that the crisis will end and the Accordance ministers be back to the cabinet.” Otherwise al-Maliki said he will have to name substitutes, even if his cabinet consists of Shiite and Kurdish representatives.

He added the crisis isn’t that deep to trigger a crumbling of his government, saying that “is a wish by some but it is far the day when people would see the government in its countdown.”