Baghdad and nearby Garma today suffered a string of small but highly visible attacks that left a number of government employees and security elements injured or dead. At least 11 Iraqis were killed and 32 more were wounded in that and other violence. Additionally, Iran claims to have crossed the border into Iraq and killed 30 Kurdish militants. Also, Iraq launched a new U.S.-built patrol boat, the first of its expanding fleet, at the Umm Qasr naval base.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have reportedly crossed the border into Iraq in response to a deadly bombing in Mahabad, Iran last week. They claim to have killed 30 Kurdish rebels involved in the bombing and are still in pursuit of two more. The bombing occurred in a Kurdish area of Iran during a military parade that commemorated the Iran-Iraq War’s 30th anniversary. In recent months, Iran has launched several attacks against Party For a Free Kurdistan (PJAK) rebels without asking for Iraqi permission. Kurdish groups have condemned the bombing, and no one has taken responsibility. Still, Iran blames the PJAK for the attack. The PJAK uses remote areas of northern Iraq for their hidden camps.
The mothers of nine U.S. servicemembers who died in Iraq traveled to the Kurdish Autonomous Region to meet with dozens of Iraqi mothers who also lost their children to war and related violence. An American aid group, Families United Toward Universal Respect sponsored the trip to bring healing to the mothers from both countries.
In Baghdad, six people were wounded when a bomb, targeting a car carrying the head of a minister of parliament’s office, exploded near a Saadoun petrol station. One person was killed and seven others were wounded during a blast in Karrada. A bomb wounded three in Mansour. Another bomb wounded three more in Beirut Square. On Airport Road, gunmen killed an employee of the Integrity Ministry, while a Culture Ministry employee died of wounds received in a shooting in Amiriya. At least three other people were wounded in separate small arms attacks. A large weapons cache was discovered in Zayouna. No casualties were so far reported after a mortar strike in the Green Zone.
Four policemen were killed and as many as five others were wounded in a Garma car bombing.
In Mosul, two brothers were shot to death during a home invasion. Gunmen also killed a civilian elsewhere.
A bomb in Baquba killed one person and wounded five others.
Five al-Qaeda suspects were arrested across the country.
