Updated at 12:30 a.m. EST, Dec. 19, 2006
At least 97 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and another 58 were wounded. Many of them were hurt and killed when several small bombs rocked Baghdad. Also, four people were kidnapped. One U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded when their Bradley fighting vehicle rolled over north of Baghdad. And, four alleged Americans helped a former Iraqi minister escape police custody for a second time; no word on his whereabouts.
In Baghdad, at least 49 dumped bodies were discovered around town.. At the Ministry of Education building in the Amil district, gunmen attacked a group of female staff members, killing one and wounding two others. Nearby, police Colonel Adil Abdullah kadhum was gunned down. And two mortars took the life of one person and wounded two others.
Also in the capital, a car bomb at a Sadiya vegetable market killed five and wounded 19 others. Another car bomb at a vegetable market in Doura wounded seven more people. Meanwhile, a roadside bomb wounded three policemen near the Technology University, and another roadside bomb killed one and wounded four during rush hour. Also, a bomb was planted in a car used by Electricity Ministry officials; the driver was killed and two people wounded.
During clashes between U.S. forces and militia in Ramadi, one militia member and a civilian were killed. Coalition forces also killed two militiamembers and injured another in Fallujah.
Gunmen in Kirkuk killed a policeman on his way to work.
Near Kirkuk, a roadside bomb wounded two policemen on a road heading towards Tuz Khurmatu.
A member of the city council of Mosul, Khaireddine al-Dabagh, was gunned down. Two bodies were also found.
A roadside bomb in Hawija killed one person and wounded another.
In the Diyala province one Iraqi soldier was killed and a second wounded when they were blasted by a roadside bomb.
Mortars killed one villager and injured 12 others in Shah Ali.
Nine bodies were found in Baquba. One civilian died and another was wounded during clashes between the Iraqi army and militia. Another person was killed in the nearby Bab al Darob area. And gunmen killed two young men when they came across a family trying to move to a safer location.
Three people were gunned down near Tal Afar.
Police Captain Nihad Khalid was abducted and an unidentified body was found in Samarra.
During clashes and air strikes near Balad, three Iraqi soldiers and eight militiamen were killed.
And three truck drivers were kidnapped in Dour.
Compiled by Margaret Griffis
