Wednesday: 4 Iraqis Killed, 4 Wounded

by Margaret Griffis, July 01, 2009

Updated at 7:13 p.m. EDT, July, 1, 2009

Celebrations continued in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Iraqi cities. Otherwise, the country was very quiet. Only four Iraqis were reported killed and four more were wounded. No Coalition deaths were announced.

Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr welcomed the U.S. withdrawal from cities, but also expressed concern that some troops will remain in the cities. Meanwhile, celebrations continued across Iraq. A handover ceremony was held in Kirkuk, and Mosul hosted a military parade. Due to the instability there, authorities in Mosul increased security for the parade. A handover ceremony in Diyala was delayed thanks to a dispute over air conditioners and generators, but at this point, U.S. troops have withdrawn to five locations across the province.

A bomb near Baquba in Ibrahimiya killed one Iraqi soldier and wounded three more.

A body bearing gunshot wounds was found in Makhmour.

In Mosul, a gunman was killed as he was planting a bomb. A separate bomb wounded a policeman.

Police in Fallujah killed a man who was seen planting a bomb.

Two men were arrested while planting a bomb in Himreem.

A bomb was defused in Bani Saad.

Five al-Qaeda were captured during operations in Baquba and Muqdadiya.

Turkey officially condemned yesterday’s significant bombing in Kirkuk.  The bombing could be have been a symptom of growing Kurdish-Arab tensions in northern Iraq. Turkey also shares tensions with the Kurdish population living there.

Read more by Margaret Griffis