About 19 Iraqis were killed, and 80 more were wounded, mostly in northern Iraq. Nearly all of today’s casualties occurred in cities claimed by both the central and Kurdish government. Tensions between the two governments heated up with Baghdad created a new security force for a heavily Kurdish region not yet subsumed by the autonomous government.
As many as 10 people were killed and 61 more were wounded when several bombs were detonated in Kirkuk. Some of the blasts targeted a Shi’ite mosque, while the others exploded outside a TV station. Separately, a sticky bomb killed a policeman, while mortars wounded four civilians.
A blast in Jalula killed two recruits and wounded 15 more near a Kurdish political party office. A crowd had gathered to enlist in the Kurdish security force.
Gunmen killed three policemen and wounded four more in Tarmiya.
In Abu Saida, a roadside bomb killed one civilian.
In Mosul, gunmen killed a civilian.
Gunmen killed the brother of Qadisiya’s governor as he was traveling in Diwaniya.
Several schoolteachers were kidnapped in Rashad.
Two bombs were defused in Mussayab.
