Iraq security forces reported the deaths of well over 200 militants today. A number of civilians and security personnel were also killed. At least 258 people were killed and 74 more were wounded.
Politics:
Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr asked the State of Law party to nominate someone other than Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. State of Law, which is Maliki’s party, received the highest number of votes, but they were not enough for the supermajority needed to pick the next premier outright. There has been great pressure to select a different candidate, but Maliki himself has refused to withdraw his candidacy.
Iran admitted to preferring Maliki but has accepted that they will have to work with any other candidate.
Sheikh Hatem al-Suleiman, head of the Dulaimi tribe, said in an interview that Maliki was more dangerous than the Islamic State militants. He reminded the interviewer that the Anbar tribes were able to defeat al-Qaeda once and can defeat the new militants, but they will not even try until Maliki is out of office.
Fighting:
Rocket fire in Tikrit killed 19 civilians, mostly women and children.
Iraqi fighter jets bombed Tuz Khormato, killing a 12-year-old girl and wounding eight others. Because the destroyed homes were next to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan offices, the P.U.K. believes they were the actual targets. The Peshmerga took over security of the town when Iraqi forces abandoned it.
Iraq undertook multiple bombing raids on Mosul. At least seven civilians were killed and 30 more were wounded. Dozens of militants were said to be killed as well.
In Baghdad, a suicide bomber killed four people and wounded 17 more in Washash. A dumped body was found.
Shelling in Falluja killed three civilians and wounded 5 more.
In Baquba, a mortar attack killed three people. One gunman was wounded during a shooting that occurred during the failed kidnapping attempt of a journalist. A dentist was kidnapped.
One doctor was killed and three people were wounded when mortars fell on a clinic in Garma.
In Khalis, a civilian was shot dead.
A roadside bomb wounded 10 policemen in Kirkuk.
Security forces killed 29 militants in Tikrit.
Ninety militants were killed in attacks against the Baiji refinery and Camp Speicher.
In al-Hays, 27 militants were killed.
Security forces killed 25 militants attempting to storm the Salah ad Din operations command headquarters.
Twenty-five militants were killed in Falluja.
In small clashes across Anbar province, 10 militants were killed.
Clashes left seven militants dead in Jurf al-Sakhar.
Six militants were killed in Khalidiya.
Security forces in the Hamrin Mountains killed a militant leader.
The military also bombed locations in Hawija and Shurqat.
In Tal Afar, the military bombed a militant parade.
Syrian planes bombed Qaim.
