A rocket attack in Baghdad killed three UN contractors and wounded 14 others near the international Green Zone. None of the victims were Iraqis. At least 44 Iraqis were also killed and 32 more Iraqis were wounded in separate attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported. Meanwhile, the UN has delayed its report on disputed Kurdish areas in Iraq until after January elections in order to avoid stoking the conflict.
A series of mass graves gave up 33 bodies in the Albu Toma area. The Iraqi army expects to find more graves in the area, which some have described as being an “al-Qaeda courthouse.” Most of them date to about a year ago, when sectarian violence was at its highest. A woman and a child were among the dead.
In Baghdad, an Iranian-made rocket landed near the Green Zone, killing three foreigner contractors and wounding 14 others, who all worked for the United Nations. Their nationalities were not released. In a separate incident, U.S. forces captured a key member of the Hezbollah Brigade during a raid yesterday in Karrada; two associates were killed and three others were arrested. Today in Karrada, a bomb killed a civilian and wounded three others. Elsewhere in Ghazaliya, four policemen were wounded in a roadside bombing. An adhesive bomb wounded three civilians in Atifiya. Also, an unidentified body was found dumped in the Amin neighborhood.
In Mosul, gunmen staged a two-part attack: Two brothers were killed during an attack on their jewelry shop. The gunmen left a bomb, which exploded when rescuers arrived at the shop. One police officer was killed and 18 other people were wounded in the bombing.
A bomb blast wounded four policemen in Saidiya.
U.S. forces killed four suspects and arrested seven others in Tuz Khormato.
Iraqi security forces arrested sixteen bodyguards working for the mayor of Muqdadiyah. No reasons for the arrests were given.
Two provincial council members from Wassit were released after two years in U.S. detention. There was no word as to whether the pair was found innocent or where released for other reasons.
Compiled by Margaret Griffis
