Although violence was light today, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, Stuart Bowen reported that Iraq has become more dangerous in the last 12 months. Coincidentally, U.S. forces were involved in a fatal shootout with civilians in northern Iraq early this morning. Overall, at least seven Iraqis were killed and 20 more were wounded across Iraq. Meanwhile, parliament approved a cabinet-reducing measure.

U.S. troops killed three villagers and injured seven more during an operation to arrest a suspect in Rufayat. Due to the summer heat, many residents were sleeping on their rooftops when U.S. helicopters arrived. A startled man thought the soldiers were al-Qaeda militants and fired a warning shot. The Americans then returned fire. One of the dead was a sheikh. One of the wounded later died.

A blast in Taji left two dead and five wounded.

A roadside bomb wounded six people in Qara Tapa.

Three people were wounded during a shooting in Sherwin.

Seven suspects were arrested across Diyala province, which still sees plenty of sectarian violence.

In Kirkuk, a citizen was kidnapped, while another was killed in a Katyusha rocket attack.

Read more by Margaret Griffis

• Attack on Pilgrims in Iraq Leaves Six Iranians Dead; 14 Iraqis Also Killed – May 25th, 2013
• Twenty Killed in Attacks Focused on Iraqi Security Forces – May 23rd, 2013
• 31 Killed in Iraq, Including 12 Slaughtered in a Baghdad Brothel – May 22nd, 2013
• Sixty Killed, 132 Wounded in Ongoing Iraq Carnage – May 21st, 2013
• Monday Mayhem: 133 Killed, 283 Wounded in Iraq – May 20th, 2013