Updated at 6:15 p.m. EDT, July 30, 2008
At least eight Iraqis were killed and 12 others were wounded during the latest attacks. The D.O.D. reported the death of a Marine, while the parents of a gravely injured U.S. soldier are expected to remove him from life support today. Meanwhile, security forces are conducting a mostly quiet operation in normally violent Diyala province, and the Iraqi parliament has scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the political situation in Kirkuk. Also, Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr says he will support the al-Maliki government if it refuses to sign a security pact with the United States.
When July ends, it will likely become the least deadly month for U.S. troops since the invasion. Only six servicemembers were so far killed in combat and another four died from other causes. The Department of Defense announced today that a U.S. Marine died from wounds received in combat; he had been injured in May. Also, Bosnia will increase the size of its force in Iraq next month.
In Baghdad, a roadside bomb in Zayouna killed one Iraqi soldier and wounded 10 others, including soldiers, policemen and civilians. A policeman was shot and killed in a separate incident. Also, two bodies were found.
In Mosul, a judge and his bodyguard were injured during a drive-by shooting; one attacker was killed. Gunmen killed a leading member of the Iraqi Islamic party (IIP) after storming his shop. Also, security forces killed a man trying to plant an oxygen tank bomb; a second suspect may have also been killed.
Fifty-four suspects were captured in Diyala province during a large-scale operation involving 50,000 troops. The province has been fairly quiet during the operation, likely because many gunmen fled the area ahead of the operation. Six kidnap victims were freed.
Rockets and launchers were confiscated in northern Basra.
In Sinjar, the Iraqi army raided and closed an office belonging to the al-Hadbaa National Unified Gathering. Al-Hadbaa promotes better relations between the many ethnic and religious groups in northern Iraq. The director of the office was detained. No reason for the raid was given.
Three suspects belonging to a newly formed militant group were detained in Kirkuk. As the Iraqi parliament ended its regular session, lawmakers scheduled a meeting during their summer recess to discuss the complicated political situation in Kirkuk. Although Kirkuk is relatively peaceful, a provincial elections law has stirred up ethnic tensions in the multi-ethnic province.
Compiled by Margaret Griffis
