Wednesday: 5 Iraqis Killed, 14 Wounded

by , April 07, 2010

At least five Iraqis were killed and 14 more were wounded in light violence that focused mostly on northern Iraq. Meanwhile, the Sadrists selected Ibrahim al-Jaafari as their primary candidate for prime minister.

Results from Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s special referendum on which politician his group will support for the premiership were released today. Former Prime Minister and Shi’ite politician Ibrahim al-Jaafari won 24 percent of the vote, giving neither of the front-runners a leg up towards the top post.

A near dead-heat in last month’s national elections has forced candidates to work with each other to select the new government. Former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi’s Iraqiya party won the most seats, but not enough to clearly regain the prime minister’s seat. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law party came in a close second.

In Mosul, two people were killed and four were wounded when a bomb targeting police blasted them instead. A police officer was killed at his home. Gunmen killed a man in al-Islah al-Ziraie. A body was discovered in Khadraa. A female high school student was kidnapped. Three suspects were arrested.

In Baghdad, six people were wounded in Doura during a bomb attack.

Army forces in Mafraq randomly fired upon a group of people, injuring four members of the same family.

Two policemen were wounded near Tal Afar in Ayadiya during a roadside bomb attack.

Gunmen blew up a bridge on the Mosul-Baghdad highway in the Hadhar region near Mosul.

Twelve al-Qaeda suspects were arrested in Diyala province.

Three suspects were captured in Dhi Qar province.

A "special groups" suspect was arrested south of Kut. Another suspect was caught planting a bomb near the home of a high-ranking officer.

Six suspects were arrested in Basra province.

A suspected al-Qaeda leader was detained in Suwayra.

A weapons cache including C4 explosives was discovered in Aziziya.

Read more by Margaret Griffis