Updated at 10:50 p.m. EST, Dec. 14, 2006
A mass kidnapping in the capital is the focus of news reports from Iraq today. At least 20 people, perhaps as many as 70 Iraqis, were kidnapped from a shopping district. The Dept. of Defense also reported on the death of an American soldier from non-combat related injuries; the December tally now stands at 49 GI deaths. And a British soldier was wounded when a roadside bomb blasted his patrol in Basra. Overall, 110 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 35 were wounded in violent attacks.
In Baghdad, gunmen dressed as security personnel kidnapped at least 20 civilians in the al Sanak district; some witnesses claim as many as 70 were abducted. In later reports, between 25 and 30 Iraqis were immediately released, but there was still confusion as to how many were actually taken away from the area. At least 30 appear to still be missing.
Also in the capital, at least 45 dumped bodies were found in town, and three bodies were discovered southwest of Baghdad. Gunmen attacked a boys’ school in southwestern Baghdad, killing a security guard. Mortars fell on Doura, wounding three people and causing a large fire. Also, the convoy of Iraqi vice president Adil Abdul Mahdi was attacked but no casualties were reported.
Several bombs in Baghdad killed a number of people: A car bomb killed two people, including a policeman, and wounded seven, including three soldiers, in the western Nafaq al Shurta tunnel area. While attempting to defuse a car bomb in Sadr City, an explosives expert and his assistant were killed; another four people were wounded when the bomb blew up prematurely. A suicide car bomber drove into a checkpoint, killing two people and wounding nine others.
A roadside bomb near Mussayab killed one Iraqi soldier and wounded four more.
Fifteen bodies were found near an irrigation canal in Khallisa village; they were shot of showed evidence of torture.
In Mosul, a roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi patrol instead killed a civilian and wounded another. A policeman was shot to death. Six bodies were also recovered in town, and five bodies bearing gunshot wounds were turned in to the hospital.
Near Mosul, three off duty Iraqi soldiers were shot dead on the highway headed towards Tal Afar.
A policeman was killed and three others wounded when a bomb they were defusing exploded in Kirkuk.
A car bomb in Mahaweel killed two and wounded six others.
Two shot and tortured bodies were found in al Lij village.
In Samarra, a roadside bomb killed two police commandos and wounded a policeman.
A roadside bomb killed three Iraqi soldiers near Fallujah.
In Suwayra, eight unidentified bodies were fished out of the Tigris River; they bore gunshot and torture wounds and two were beheaded.
And gunmen killed a policeman in al Silikh.
Compiled by Margaret Griffis
