Updated at 7:45 p.m. EST, Mar. 6, 2007
At least 215 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and another 406 Iraqis were wounded in various incidents. Many of the dead and injured were pilgrims on their way to Karbala for a religious observance. In a dramatic jailbreak in Mosul, over 140 militia members were freed. Also, 10 American soldiers were killed and 4 injured in separate incidents.
Nine American soldiers were killed in two bomb attacks on Monday. A group of six was killed, three were injured in Salah ad Din province when a roadside bomb blasted their vehicle. Three more were killed and another wounded by a roadside bomb in Diyala province. The U.S. military also reported the death of GI in Safwan on Friday.
In Hilla, 115 Shi’ite pilgrims were killed and 237 were injured during a double suicide bomber attack. The pilgrims were on their way to Karbala to observe Arbain, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period that begin with Ashura. The pilgrims had gathered under a tent to rest and eat when two bombers arrived and detonated their bombs. Also, a former Baath Party member was shot dead in a separate incident in town.
Up to 140 prisoners were freed in Mosul when dozens of militia members staged a dramatic jailbreak. Two bodies were found in the city. Also, a car bomb killed five and wounded 18 others, including several Iraqi soldiers who were the target of the attack.
Pilgrims were also attacked in Baghdad where a car bomb in the Doura neighborhood killed 12 and injured 23 of them. Gunmen wounded four, including a policeman, when they attacked another group of pilgrims in Doura. Mortars, also in Doura, injured five pilgrims. In the Yarmouk district a car bomb killed five and injured 10 more. Another car bomb killed one pilgrim and injured three more in western Baghdad. A roadside bomb in Illam wounded two pilgrims. In east Baghdad, gunmen killed one civilian and injured three others. And two pilgrims were wounded in the Sulaikh neighborhood by a roadside bomb there.
In other incidents in the capital, Iraqi army forces killed nine militants and arrested 97 others. A bomb at a Ubaidi area checkpoint killed four soldiers and wounded one civilian. A roadside bomb near an arts college killed two civilians and wounded ten others. Also, ten more bodies were found on Monday; the discovery of 15 of them was already reported. Twenty-four bodies were recovered today.
During a drive-by shooting near Khalis, gunmen killed two Turkmen Shi’ite pilgrims and wounded 15 more.
Gunmen killed three pilgrims and wounded 13 others during an ambush near Tarmiya.
Three pilgrims were killed and 25 were wounded when gunmen opened fire on their convoy near Udhaim.
Near Tikrit, gunmen killed three pilgrims and wounded ten more, including women and children. Also, troops on a surveillance helicopter killed one militant and wounded two others while they were accessing their cache of munitions.
In separate incidents around Latifiya, three pilgrims were killed and 13 more were injured.
In Kut, a bomb targeting the convoy of a senior police official killed Colonel Salam Fakhri and wounded three bodyguards.
A man was wounded in Mussayab when a bomb exploded just outside his home.
Gunmen killed a man in Iskandariya.
Five people were wounded during a mortar attack in Kirkuk.
A roadside bomb injured two children in Hawija.
Two gunmen and two civilians were injured in separate attacks in Basra. At least one person died in the attacks.
Six people were killed in Balad when mortars rounds fell overnight.
A child was killed and two men were injured by a roadside bomb in Hibhib.
In a northern part of Baquba, two policemen were injured in an armed attack.
Gunmen killed one man and injured a second in Muqdadiyah.
The head of the tourism agency, Ahmed Gati’a, was shot dead in Iskandariyah.
Compiled by Margaret Griffis
