Friday, May 25, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - Gunmen killed 11 people insider a minibus in Baghdad, then booby trapped the vehicle with explosives, which killed two more people who responded to the first attack. In Fallujah, a suicide bomber killed 20 people at a funeral. Two incidents of Americans killing Iraqi civilians were reported, one in Baghdad, the other in Salah ad Din province.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1130 GMT on Friday:
BAGHDAD - Two U.S. soldiers were killed and another was wounded in a roadside bomb attack on their patrol in western Baghdad on Thursday, the military said. An Iraqi interpreter was also killed.
TIKRIT - A U.S. soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in Nineveh province near Tikrit on Thursday, the military said.
TIKRIT - A U.S. soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad province near Tikrit, the U.S. military said.
SALAHADDIN - One U.S. soldier was killed and another was wounded by a roadside bomb in Salahaddin province on Thursday, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - A U.S. soldier was killed by small arms fire in Diyala province on Thursday, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - Insurgents bombed a bridge linking the Sunni districts of al-Khadra and al-Jamiaa in western Baghdad, police said. The bridge over a major road was still standing but was badly damaged. No casualties were reported.
BAGHDAD - U.S. and Iraqi forces detained 20 suspected insurgents in raids targeting al Qaeda in Baghdad and Mosul on Friday, the military said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 22 people were found shot in various districts of Baghdad on Thursday, police said. Nineteen of them were found in the predominantly Sunni Arab western Karkh side of Baghdad.
BAGHDAD - One civilian was killed and three wounded in a mortar attack on a residential area of Abu Dshir in southern Baghdad, police said.
FALLUJA - Gunmen killed a sheikh from the Abu Alwan tribe in his car in eastern Falluja, 50 km (30 miles) west of Baghdad, on Friday, police said.
LATIFIYA - Police found the bodies of two men handcuffed and shot in Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two U.S. soldiers were killed and another was wounded in a roadside bomb attack on their patrol in western Baghdad on Thursday, the military said. An Iraqi interpreter was also killed.
TIKRIT - A U.S. soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in Nineveh province near Tikrit on Thursday, the military said.
TIKRIT - A U.S. soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad province near Tikrit, the U.S. military said.
SALAHADDIN - One U.S. soldier was killed and another was wounded by a roadside bomb in Salahaddin province on Thursday, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - A U.S. soldier was killed by small arms fire in Diyala province on Thursday, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - Insurgents bombed a bridge linking the Sunni districts of al-Khadra and al-Jamiaa in western Baghdad, police said. The bridge over a major road was still standing but was badly damaged. No casualties were reported.
BAGHDAD - U.S. and Iraqi forces detained 20 suspected insurgents in raids targeting al Qaeda in Baghdad and Mosul on Friday, the military said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 22 people were found shot in various districts of Baghdad on Thursday, police said. Nineteen of them were found in the predominantly Sunni Arab western Karkh side of Baghdad.
BAGHDAD - One civilian was killed and three wounded in a mortar attack on a residential area of Abu Dshir in southern Baghdad, police said.
FALLUJA - Gunmen killed a sheikh from the Abu Alwan tribe in his car in eastern Falluja, 50 km (30 miles) west of Baghdad, on Friday, police said.
LATIFIYA - Police found the bodies of two men handcuffed and shot in Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
Labels: Abu Alwan tribe, al-Jamiaa, al-Khadra, bridge, Fallujah, gunmen, Latifiyah, roadside bombs, Salahuddin, Tikrit
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - Roundup of violence in Iraq - Wednesday 16 May 2007
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1100 GMT on Thursday:
* Indicates a new or updated entry
* DIWANIYA - At least three civilians were killed, including a woman, and four others wounded in clashes between militiamen and security forces in the Shi'ite city of Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two civilians were killed and five wounded by a roadside bomb in the Diyala bridge area in southeastern Baghdad, police said.
* ISKANDARIYA - A roadside bomb killed one civilian and wounded three others in Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
HILLA - A policeman was killed and three of his family were wounded when a militant hurled a hand grenade at his home in Hilla, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* BASRA - Gunmen killed a police major along with his son in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra, police said.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a civil servant in a drive-by shooting in Diwaniya, police said. It was not clear why he was targeted.
* LATIFIYA - Police found two bodies bearing signs of torture and bullet wounds in the small town of Latifiya 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* KIRKUK - Police found a bullet-riddled body in the ethnically mixed northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army killed six insurgents in different parts of Iraq over the last 24 hours, the Iraqi army said in a statement.
* Indicates a new or updated entry
* DIWANIYA - At least three civilians were killed, including a woman, and four others wounded in clashes between militiamen and security forces in the Shi'ite city of Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two civilians were killed and five wounded by a roadside bomb in the Diyala bridge area in southeastern Baghdad, police said.
* ISKANDARIYA - A roadside bomb killed one civilian and wounded three others in Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
HILLA - A policeman was killed and three of his family were wounded when a militant hurled a hand grenade at his home in Hilla, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* BASRA - Gunmen killed a police major along with his son in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra, police said.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a civil servant in a drive-by shooting in Diwaniya, police said. It was not clear why he was targeted.
* LATIFIYA - Police found two bodies bearing signs of torture and bullet wounds in the small town of Latifiya 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* KIRKUK - Police found a bullet-riddled body in the ethnically mixed northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army killed six insurgents in different parts of Iraq over the last 24 hours, the Iraqi army said in a statement.
Labels: Basra, Diwaniya, grenade, gunmen, Hilla, Iraqi Army, Iskandariyah, Kirkuk, Latifiyah, militias, roadside bombs
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - Roundup of violence in Iraq - 15 May 2007
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondent Mohammed Al Dulaimy in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondent Mohammed Al Dulaimy in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1130 GMT on Wednesday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* ABU SAYDA - A truck bomb laden with chlorine gas exploded in a market area in the mostly Shi'ite town of Abu Sayda, north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 45 people and wounding 60, police said on Wednesday.
* NASIRIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces killed eight people and wounded 40 in the southern city of Nasiriya, 375 km (235 miles) southeast of Baghdad, hospital and police sources said.
* AL-SHATRA - At least four people were killed and 20 others were wounded after clashes erupted between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and police in the town of al-Shatra, near Nasiriya, a source in the hospital said.
* DIWANIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces wounded eight civilians, a policeman and an Iraqi soldier, hospital and Iraqi military sources said. A curfew was imposed until further notice.
* FALLUJA - Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three wounded when gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
* BAQUBA - Gunmen attacked police Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, the head of the Iraqi-U.S. Joint Coordination Centre of Diyala Province, killing two of his guards and wounding another, police said. Hiyali was not harmed in the attack.
* KIRKUK - The head of the Riyadh city council was killed along with another member in the council when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in the town of Riyadh, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* LATIFIYA - Gunmen opened fire at a car, killing one person and wounding four others in the town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 15 people were found in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Four people were killed and four others were wounded by a mortar attack in Ur district in northern Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
MAHMUDIYA - A roadside bomb exploded near a minibus, killing one person and wounding another on Tuesday in the town of Mahmudiya, some 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* ABU SAYDA - A truck bomb laden with chlorine gas exploded in a market area in the mostly Shi'ite town of Abu Sayda, north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 45 people and wounding 60, police said on Wednesday.
* NASIRIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces killed eight people and wounded 40 in the southern city of Nasiriya, 375 km (235 miles) southeast of Baghdad, hospital and police sources said.
* AL-SHATRA - At least four people were killed and 20 others were wounded after clashes erupted between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and police in the town of al-Shatra, near Nasiriya, a source in the hospital said.
* DIWANIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces wounded eight civilians, a policeman and an Iraqi soldier, hospital and Iraqi military sources said. A curfew was imposed until further notice.
* FALLUJA - Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three wounded when gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
* BAQUBA - Gunmen attacked police Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, the head of the Iraqi-U.S. Joint Coordination Centre of Diyala Province, killing two of his guards and wounding another, police said. Hiyali was not harmed in the attack.
* KIRKUK - The head of the Riyadh city council was killed along with another member in the council when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in the town of Riyadh, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* LATIFIYA - Gunmen opened fire at a car, killing one person and wounding four others in the town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 15 people were found in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Four people were killed and four others were wounded by a mortar attack in Ur district in northern Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
MAHMUDIYA - A roadside bomb exploded near a minibus, killing one person and wounding another on Tuesday in the town of Mahmudiya, some 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
Labels: Abu Saydah, Al-Shatra, Baqouba, Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, chlorine bombs, Diwaniya, Fallujah, Kirkuk, Latifiyah, Mahdi Army, Nasiriyah, roadside bombs
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
Baghdad
- Around 8 am , a suicide truck (Hino) driver led his car near a petrol station at Al-Meda'en, but the police commandos of the checkpoint in the neighborhood exploded the truck with the suicide driver inside who was killed at the explosion . No casualties recorded.
- Around 9 am, a roadside bomb exploded at Amiriya neighborhood without casualties.
- Around 11 am, a roadside bomb exploded when an American patrol passed by at the commercial street in Saidiya neighborhood without any casualties.
- Around 12 pm, a roadside bomb exploded at Baladiyat neighborhood when an American patrol passed in the area without casualties recorded. Salahuddin
- Early morning, gunmen bombed Asad's brother's house , the chairman of Samara municipality , after forcing the whole family to evacuate the house which is in Hay Al-Sikak south Samara (North of Baghdad). Basrah
- At dawn, a roadside bomb exploded when a British vehicle passed through Timimiya neighborhood(near Ashar) in the downtown of Basra ( south of Iraq) having some damage to the vehicle with no casualties recorded.
- Around this day, a British patrol had found a trench filled with ammunitions north of Zubair (35 km west of Basra) including 20 mortar bombs ,30 cannon bombs and two grenades .
Baghdad
- Around 8 am , a suicide truck (Hino) driver led his car near a petrol station at Al-Meda'en, but the police commandos of the checkpoint in the neighborhood exploded the truck with the suicide driver inside who was killed at the explosion . No casualties recorded.
- Around 9 am, a roadside bomb exploded at Amiriya neighborhood without casualties.
- Around 11 am, a roadside bomb exploded when an American patrol passed by at the commercial street in Saidiya neighborhood without any casualties.
- Around 12 pm, a roadside bomb exploded at Baladiyat neighborhood when an American patrol passed in the area without casualties recorded. Salahuddin
- Early morning, gunmen bombed Asad's brother's house , the chairman of Samara municipality , after forcing the whole family to evacuate the house which is in Hay Al-Sikak south Samara (North of Baghdad). Basrah
- At dawn, a roadside bomb exploded when a British vehicle passed through Timimiya neighborhood(near Ashar) in the downtown of Basra ( south of Iraq) having some damage to the vehicle with no casualties recorded.
- Around this day, a British patrol had found a trench filled with ammunitions north of Zubair (35 km west of Basra) including 20 mortar bombs ,30 cannon bombs and two grenades .
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1245 GMT on Saturday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* NEAR MAHMUDIYA - Insurgents attacked a team of seven U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi army interpreter south of Baghdad, killing five soldiers while three others were missing, the U.S. military said in a statement.
* NEAR LATIFIYA - Three bodies were found shot dead near the small town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained three suspects and destroyed a car bomb during a raid in the Shi'ite stronghold of Sadr City aimed at breaking a network suspected of procuring sophisticated explosives from Iran, the U.S. military said. It said the three were believed to have ties to a secret network that smuggles so-called EFPs and sends Iraqi militants for training to Iran.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a policeman in front of his home in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya, police said.
* FALLUJA - Gunmen killed a man who was an army colonel under Saddam Hussein in Falluja, west of Baghdad, police said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* NEAR MAHMUDIYA - Insurgents attacked a team of seven U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi army interpreter south of Baghdad, killing five soldiers while three others were missing, the U.S. military said in a statement.
* NEAR LATIFIYA - Three bodies were found shot dead near the small town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained three suspects and destroyed a car bomb during a raid in the Shi'ite stronghold of Sadr City aimed at breaking a network suspected of procuring sophisticated explosives from Iran, the U.S. military said. It said the three were believed to have ties to a secret network that smuggles so-called EFPs and sends Iraqi militants for training to Iran.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a policeman in front of his home in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya, police said.
* FALLUJA - Gunmen killed a man who was an army colonel under Saddam Hussein in Falluja, west of Baghdad, police said.
Labels: Diwaniya, EFPs, Fallujah, gunmen, insurgents, Latifiyah, Mahmudiya, Sadr City
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
14 killed in ambush, IZ badges found in terrorist stronghold
Security
(AP) - Gunmen ambushed travelers on a highway leading from Baghdad to Shiite areas to the south on Tuesday, killing 14 people, while mortar rounds slammed into an area near the Iraqi prime minister's office in the U.S.-controlled Green Zone in the capital, a government official said. The attacks against the travelers began at 6:45 a.m., when gunmen took aim at a minibus, killing 11 Shiites and wounding three, as it passed near Iskandariyah, 30 miles south of Baghdad in a predominantly Sunni area dubbed the "Triangle of Death" because of frequent insurgent violence.
About 45 minutes later, a group of gunmen standing on the highway opened fire at civilian cars, killing three people and wounding five near Latifiyah and about 6 miles north of the site of the initial attack. The attacks occurred on the main highway linking the capital to predominantly Shiite southern provinces. Farmers often use the road to transport goods and Shiite pilgrims use it for treks to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, but they have to go through the dangerous areas closer to Baghdad.
No casualties were reported in the mortar attack — the second strike against the sprawling complex in about 12 hours — but it underscored heightened concerns about security in an area that is home to the U.S. and British embassies and thousands of American troops, as well as the Iraqi government headquarters. The Pentagon also said Monday that documents captured in recent fighting in Baghdad included two identity cards for access to the Green Zone and an ID card for access to the U.S. Embassy.
About 45 minutes later, a group of gunmen standing on the highway opened fire at civilian cars, killing three people and wounding five near Latifiyah and about 6 miles north of the site of the initial attack. The attacks occurred on the main highway linking the capital to predominantly Shiite southern provinces. Farmers often use the road to transport goods and Shiite pilgrims use it for treks to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, but they have to go through the dangerous areas closer to Baghdad.
No casualties were reported in the mortar attack — the second strike against the sprawling complex in about 12 hours — but it underscored heightened concerns about security in an area that is home to the U.S. and British embassies and thousands of American troops, as well as the Iraqi government headquarters. The Pentagon also said Monday that documents captured in recent fighting in Baghdad included two identity cards for access to the Green Zone and an ID card for access to the U.S. Embassy.
Labels: Green Zone, gunmen, Iskandariyah, Latifiyah, MNFI badges, mortar rounds
Friday, April 20, 2007
Al-Hakim's son attacked
Politics, Security
(AFP) - The son of prominent Iraqi Shiite leader Abdel Aziz al-Hakim came under attack in a town south of Baghdad in which six of his security personnel were wounded, officials said Friday. Ammar al-Hakim, himself a well-known cleric and politician, was on his way to Baghdad from the Shiite holy city of Najaf when gunmen fired on his convoy as it passed the town of Latifiyah, Najaf provincial spokesman Ahmed Duaibl said.
"The convoy came under attack in Latifiyah. It was fired at from a distance," he told AFP, adding that it may have been an opportunistic attack on an official-looking motorcade rather than a planned assassination bid. An official from Hakim's office said four police escorts and two of his personal bodyguards were wounded in the attack. Hakim escaped unhurt, the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Latifiyah, located in a region south of Baghdad dubbed the triangle of death, is notorious for such attacks as armed gangs randomly fire on passing convoys. Hakim senior heads the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), a Shiite former rebel group that is one of the leading factions in Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's governing coalition. The Shiite faithful consider both men to be sayyids, or descendants of the Prophet Mohammed. Their party was founded in exile in Iran and retains links to the Tehran government.
In February, US troops detained Ammar al-Hakim for several hours after his convoy crossed back into Iraq from Iran, accusing him and his guards of behaving suspiciously during a search of their vehicles. The arrest triggered SCIRI-sponsored street protests and he was released.
"The convoy came under attack in Latifiyah. It was fired at from a distance," he told AFP, adding that it may have been an opportunistic attack on an official-looking motorcade rather than a planned assassination bid. An official from Hakim's office said four police escorts and two of his personal bodyguards were wounded in the attack. Hakim escaped unhurt, the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Latifiyah, located in a region south of Baghdad dubbed the triangle of death, is notorious for such attacks as armed gangs randomly fire on passing convoys. Hakim senior heads the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), a Shiite former rebel group that is one of the leading factions in Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's governing coalition. The Shiite faithful consider both men to be sayyids, or descendants of the Prophet Mohammed. Their party was founded in exile in Iran and retains links to the Tehran government.
In February, US troops detained Ammar al-Hakim for several hours after his convoy crossed back into Iraq from Iran, accusing him and his guards of behaving suspiciously during a search of their vehicles. The arrest triggered SCIRI-sponsored street protests and he was released.
Labels: Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, Ammar al-Hakim, gunmen, Latifiyah
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Gunfire forces down U.S. military helicopter
Security
(Reuters) - Heavy gunfire forced a U.S. military helicopter down in an insurgent stronghold south of Baghdad on Thursday, Iraqi witnesses said. The U.S. military said it had no information on the reports. Witnesses said the aircraft appeared to be an Apache attack helicopter. They said it came under attack near Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad.
"I saw a helicopter in the sky, then I heard heavy gunfire," said one witness. "I saw the helicopter move right and left before landing hard. It did not explode." An Iraqi security official also said a helicopter had come down in the area. U.S. forces had closed off the site, witnesses said.
Insurgents shot down eight helicopters during a month-long period earlier this year, killing 28 people, mainly American soldiers. Six of those were U.S. military helicopters and two belonged to a private American security firm.
"I saw a helicopter in the sky, then I heard heavy gunfire," said one witness. "I saw the helicopter move right and left before landing hard. It did not explode." An Iraqi security official also said a helicopter had come down in the area. U.S. forces had closed off the site, witnesses said.
Insurgents shot down eight helicopters during a month-long period earlier this year, killing 28 people, mainly American soldiers. Six of those were U.S. military helicopters and two belonged to a private American security firm.
Labels: Apache helicopter, Latifiyah
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(Reuters) - Security developments in Iraq as of 0900 GMT on Wednesday:
* denotes a new or updated item. Follow link for further information.
NEAR HAWIJA - Gunmen killed 11 employees of an electricity power station in an ambush on their vehicle near the town of Hawija, 70 km (40 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, police said.
* LATIFIYA - Gunmen manning a fake checkpoint kidnapped passengers traveling in six minibus taxis and a car, near the town of Latifiya 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, an official in the Hilla police chief's office said.
MOSUL - A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol killed a police major and wounded a civilian in the northern city of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
MOSUL - A roadside bomb targeting the motorcade of the head of police in Mosul, Major General Wathiq al-Hamadani, wounded two of his guards, police said. Hamadani was not harmed.
* BAGHDAD - The bodies of 10 people were found shot in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
KIRKUK - Nine civilians were wounded on Tuesday when three roadside bombs exploded in a mainly Kurdish district of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
NEAR HAWIJA - Gunmen killed 11 employees of an electricity power station in an ambush on their vehicle near the town of Hawija, 70 km (40 miles) southwest of Kirkuk, police said.
* LATIFIYA - Gunmen manning a fake checkpoint kidnapped passengers traveling in six minibus taxis and a car, near the town of Latifiya 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, an official in the Hilla police chief's office said.
MOSUL - A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol killed a police major and wounded a civilian in the northern city of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
MOSUL - A roadside bomb targeting the motorcade of the head of police in Mosul, Major General Wathiq al-Hamadani, wounded two of his guards, police said. Hamadani was not harmed.
* BAGHDAD - The bodies of 10 people were found shot in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
KIRKUK - Nine civilians were wounded on Tuesday when three roadside bombs exploded in a mainly Kurdish district of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
Labels: abduction, assassination attempt, Baghdad, General Wathiq al-Hamadani, Hawija, Kirkuk, Latifiyah, Mosul, roadside bombs
In escalation of mass kidnappings 22 shephards seized
Security
(AFP) - Gunmen wearing police uniforms seized 22 shepherds and their sheep in southern Iraq on Wednesday in the latest mass abduction of Shiite workers by presumed Sunni insurgents. Travelling in three cars, the kidnappers swooped on the shepherds in an isolated desert area north of the Shiite shrine city of Karbala and took their truck, herd and weapons, said Karbala police spokesman Rahman Mushawi.
The victims were forced into vehicles and driven towards the neighbouring Sunni province of Al-Anbar, a hotbed of Al-Qaeda and Sunni insurgents opposed to the Shiite-led government and its US backers. Eleven electricity plant workers were killed in an ambush as they drove to work in northern Iraq on Wednesday, while gunmen staged a mass kidnap at a fake security checkpoint south of Baghdad, police said. The violence comes as Iraqi and U.S. military commanders warn that militants are shifting the focus of their attacks to outside Baghdad, where thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops have taken to the streets to crack down on sectarian bloodletting.
Police said gunmen stopped a vehicle carrying 11 electricity workers near Hawija, about 70 km (40 miles) southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, and then opened fire on the men inside. Seven of the workers died instantly while four others were fatally wounded and died later in hospital.
It was not clear whether the attack was linked to an ambush in the same area on Saturday, when gunmen shot dead eight civilian employees of an Iraqi military base. Four brothers were among the dead in that incident.
In the so-called "Triangle of Death", a Sunni insurgent stronghold south of Baghdad, gunmen manning a fake checkpoint kidnapped passengers traveling in six minibus taxis and a car, said an official in the police chief's office in the town of Hilla.
The incident took place on a main road from the capital, near an area called Latifiya. The official said it was not clear how many people had been seized, but the minibuses can carry up to 11 passengers, plus the driver.
Motorists who managed to escape the gunmen reported seeing the kidnap victims being taken in the direction of Latifiya.
The victims were forced into vehicles and driven towards the neighbouring Sunni province of Al-Anbar, a hotbed of Al-Qaeda and Sunni insurgents opposed to the Shiite-led government and its US backers. Eleven electricity plant workers were killed in an ambush as they drove to work in northern Iraq on Wednesday, while gunmen staged a mass kidnap at a fake security checkpoint south of Baghdad, police said. The violence comes as Iraqi and U.S. military commanders warn that militants are shifting the focus of their attacks to outside Baghdad, where thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops have taken to the streets to crack down on sectarian bloodletting.
Police said gunmen stopped a vehicle carrying 11 electricity workers near Hawija, about 70 km (40 miles) southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, and then opened fire on the men inside. Seven of the workers died instantly while four others were fatally wounded and died later in hospital.
It was not clear whether the attack was linked to an ambush in the same area on Saturday, when gunmen shot dead eight civilian employees of an Iraqi military base. Four brothers were among the dead in that incident.
In the so-called "Triangle of Death", a Sunni insurgent stronghold south of Baghdad, gunmen manning a fake checkpoint kidnapped passengers traveling in six minibus taxis and a car, said an official in the police chief's office in the town of Hilla.
The incident took place on a main road from the capital, near an area called Latifiya. The official said it was not clear how many people had been seized, but the minibuses can carry up to 11 passengers, plus the driver.
Motorists who managed to escape the gunmen reported seeing the kidnap victims being taken in the direction of Latifiya.
COMMENT: Mass sectarian kidnappings since the security crackdown are on the increase again. This could be due to death squad and militia activity increasing outside Baghdad. Alternatively the electricity workers could have been murdered for their 'cooperation' with the coalition either by Sunni militants or Shia extremists. The third possibility is that this is a new tactic being used by Al Qaeda to intensify sectarian violence. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: abduction, Al Anbar, ambush, Hawija, Karbala, Latifiyah, mass kidnappings, shepards
