At least 10 Iraqis were killed and 30 more were wounded. Some of the violence targeted Shi’ite pilgrims in and around Baghdad, but attacks farther north were heavy on security personnel. Meanwhile, the Iraqiya list could be seeing a breakthrough soon as talks with the National Coalition over the latest political impasses seem to be working.
The Iraqiya List and the National Coalition announced that the two groups have been in talks to resolve the current crises and hope to make a breakthrough in the coming days. A meeting was also held between President Jalal Talabani and officials from Iraqiya. Parliament, meanwhile, was able to reach a quorum today, but the Kurds said they would not support a government that marginalizes any sect or ethnic group.
A day after Asaib Ahl al-Haq promised to lay down their arms, Shi’ite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said he was again disbanding his Mahdi Army. He gave the departure of U.S. troops as the reason.
In Mahmoudiya, two pilgrims were killed and 20 more were wounded in a blast.
In Baquba, a roadside bomb killed a civilian and wounded three others, including a child. Police liberated a kidnapper. Another child was wounded in a blast that also killed his grandfather.
An off-duty policeman was shot to death in Mosul. Clashes left one gunman dead and three soldiers wounded. A body was also discovered.
The bullet-riddled body of a woman was found in Muqdadiya.
The body of a kidnapped driver was found near Kut.
A Turkmen contractor escaped his kidnappers after they stormed his Tuz Khormato home last night. Unfortunately, a guard died during the kidnapping. Two kidnappers were captured.
Gunmen wounded an officer and a soldier during an attack outside Balad.
In Kirkuk, a clash between guards protecting two politicians broke out but didn’t leave casualties. A Sahwa member was wounded in a small arms attack. Gunmen fired upon a lawyer’s home but no casualties were reported.
Bombs targeting pilgrims failed to harm anyone in Iskandariya. A second attack failed as well.
In Basra, about 400 people demonstrated against harboring Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi at President Jalal Talabani’s home in Kurdistan.
