Iranian officials are claiming that security risks prevent them from cleaning up a river that crosses into and brings much needed drinking water to Diyala province. They say that mines in the region are among the threats they would encounter in such a project. Officials in Mandali warn that medical waste from an Iranian hospital is piling up in the Mandali Dam reservoir, rendering water there unusable for drinking and other purposes, among them agricultural irrigation. This conflict is but the latest in a series of border issues between the two countries.
Meanwhile, at least five people were killed and eight more were wounded in new violence.
In Tuz Khormato, a bomb killed two soldiers and wounded two more. A child was liberated, but the kidnappers escaped.
A bomb in Kirkuk killed two policemen and wounded a third one.
A policeman was killed in a gun battle in Mosul.
Three people where wounded in Mussayab when a bomb left in a plastic bag exploded.
Gunmen wounded one civilian in Khalis.
In Baquba, a bomb wounded a policeman.
Two separate bombs in Basra targeted two high-ranking officials, but no casualties were reported.
