Bombers Strike in Southern Iraq; 85 Killed, 189 Wounded

Several possibly coordinated bombings took place south of Baghdad today, while clashes and shelling continued in Anbar province. The usual scattered attacks occurred as well.

Anbar:

Shelling left 22 dead and 36 wounded in Falluja. Clashes with militants left three policemen dead and six wounded. Seven militants were killed in a separate clash. A sniper killed one civilian and wounded three more who were trying to flee the city.

Security forces killed seven militants and wounded 21 more near the Syrian border in Wadi Soub.

Five militants were killed at the al-Salam crossroads.

A suicide bomber could not get close enough to a checkpoint north of Ramadi, so he blew himself up on the bridge, causing it to collapse.

Elsewhere:

A car bomb in a commercial area of Najaf killed 13 people and wounded 70 more.

A car bomb killed two people and wounded 10 more in Iskandariya.

One person was killed and 18 more were wounded in a car bombing in Nasariya.

A bomb killed one person and wounded three more at a Mahmoudiya market.

In Mosul, gunmen killed a commander charged with protecting the governor. A police commando was wounded in an attack on his base. One gunman was killed in a failed attack. A soldier was killed and another was wounded in a clash. A bomb killed three policemen. Two civilians were killed in another blast.

Five people were killed and 14 more were wounded in a suicide bombing at an army checkpoint in Meshahda.

In Muqdadiya, gunmen killed a girl and wounded her father. A bomb killed one policeman and wounded another. A civilian was killed and another was wounded in a small arms attack.

A civilian was shot dead in Baquba.

In Baghdad, a body was found.

A MOI officer was shot dead in Basra.

A policeman was shot dead in Husseiniya.

In Khalis, gunmen killed a civilian.

Mortars wounded three children at a home in Shura.

Traffic policemen in Nineva province have refused to work until security is provided for them or they are folded into the regular police ranks.

Author: Margaret Griffis

Margaret Griffis is a journalist from Miami Beach, Florida and has been covering Iraqi casualties for Antiwar.com since 2006.