Saturday: 3 Iraqis Killed, 28 Wounded

by , October 31, 2009

Updated at 7:22 p.m. EDT, Oct. 31, 2009

At least three Iraqis were killed and 28 more were wounded in attacks across Baghdad and Mosul. Security in Mosul was tightened ahead of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s historic visit to the northern city. Kurdish President Massoud Barzani greeted the minister and praised Turkish efforts to address a decades old conflict between the Turkish government and Kurds.

Lawmakers meanwhile are still engaged in intense negations over a national elections law. If the impasse isn’t resolved by tomorrow the elections could be delayed or the United Nations may refuse to endorse it. Separately, the Shi’ite National Accord Movement and the Sunni National Dialogue Front joined together to form the Iraqi National Movement political coalition. The union reflects a growing anti-sectarian movement.

In Baghdad, nine people were wounded when the Abu Dsheer neighborhood suffered a mortar attack. A sticky bomb blast wounded seven people in Damash. Yesterday in Saidiya, a bomb attached to a car belonging to a ministry employee killed him and wounded three others. A blast targeting a U.S. patrol in Zaafaraniya left no casualties.

After earlier denials, the Interior Ministry admitted that a bombing suspect killed a police officer in Baghdad yesterday. The suspect grabbed a guard’s gun while being offered water. He then shot and killed the guard and wounded the officer. The officer then recovered the weapon and killed the suspect but later died of his wounds. Yesterday, the incident was reported as an accident.

In Mosul, four people were wounded in a hand grenade attack. A sticky bomb wounded five at a checkpoint.

A roadside bomb was defused in Iskandariya.

Karbala police arrested 14 suspects.

U.S. forces in Kirkuk cleared eight suspects of wrongdoing and released them.

Read more by Margaret Griffis