The oilfield standoff ended peacefully today after talks between the Iraqi and Iranian foreign ministers went well. Elsewhere, the country has been relatively quiet due to the Islamic New Year and upcoming Ashura observances. The upcoming Western holidays are also adding to the lack of news reports. At least two Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded in the latest violence.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Iraqi counterpart, Hoshyar Zebari, spoke yesterday on the Fakka oilfield standoff. They were able to peacefully resolve the current issue, but both countries continue to lay claim to the contested border area. More discussions are necessary to fully resolve the matter that has remained a sore point for decades. For the time being, Iranian troops left the area, and Iraq reclaimed an oil well that appeared to be the focus of the Iranian actions. In northern Iraq, saboteurs damaged an oil pipeline.
In Mosul, two policemen were killed in separate events.
In Fallujah, a bomb wounded one civilian. Four students were injured in a blast in nearby Ameriya.
A bomb in Kirkuk wounded one civilian.
Ten suspects were detained during a pre-emptive raid in Mussayab.
Nine suspects were arrested across Basra province. A total of 36 suspects were detained over the last three days.
Security forces warn that Ashura observances in Karbala are being targeted.
