A triple bombing in Mosul may have left the most casualties today, but a bombing in Hilla is the most significant. The second attack targeted a man working for Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s top cleric and possibly the most powerful man in Iraq. Overall, at least 16 Iraqis were killed and 36 more were wounded across the country. Also, three Iranian pilgrims were wounded in an attack in Diyala province.
In Hilla, gunmen blew up a home killing two people and wounding four more. A woman and her daughter (or son) were killed. The woman’s husband and three other children were wounded. The man works as a representative for Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who is the spiritual leader of Iraq’s Shi’ites and is considered the most powerful man in post-Saddam Iraq. This attack may have been a message for Sistani.
Three bombs killed nine people and wounded at least 20 others in Mosul today. First, a parked car bomb killed three soldiers and wounded four bystanders. Nearby, a second blast killed two more people and wounded 18 others. The third bomb wounded two street cleaners. Among the dead was the head of the local identification documents office, and some of the wounded apparently died later of their injuries. Conflicting figures usually follow significant bombings, so the numbers may change as the day progresses. Although it is one of the most violent areas of Iraq, Mosul has been relatively quiet these last few months. Still, smaller attacks seem to be on the upswing in recent weeks.
A roadside bomb in Abu Ghraib killed a soldier and wounded two more.
In Tikrit, a bomb killed a policeman and wounded another.
A bomb blasted a car carrying Sahwa members through Jurf al-Sakhar. One was killed and two others were wounded. Two soldiers were wounded in a separate attack on a checkpoint.
An explosion in Iskandariya killed two gunmen in a car.
A policeman’s wife was stabbed to death in her home in Kut.
In Baghdad, a blast at a Bab al-Sharji restaurant wounded three civilians. Four people were wounded in a bomb attack targeting police.
A village leader was seriously wounded in a small arms attack in Mussayab. A Mahdi Army member was killed in another.
A sticky bomb wounded an engineer when it blasted his car in Ramadi.
A roadside bomb exploded near a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims in Imam Weis. Seven pilgrims were wounded.
