25 Iraqis Killed, According to an Initial January 1, 2008 Report

U.S. copter fire leaves 6 civilians wounded in western Mosul

Ninewa - Voices of Iraq Tuesday , 01 /01 /2008 Time 4:33:08

Ninewa, Jan 1, (VOI) –

Six civilians were wounded by a U.S. helicopter fire in western Mosul, a security source in Ninewa police said on Tuesday. "A U.S. helicopter opened fire at al-Thawra neighborhood, western Mosul, leaving six civilians wounded from two families.

A woman was among the wounded," the source, who preferred not to have his name mentioned, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). The source added that the wounded were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, not giving further details.

The U.S. army could not be contacted for more information on the incident. Mosul, the capital of Ninewa, lies 405 km north of Baghdad.

Unknown body found in northern Falluja

Anbar - Voices of Iraq Tuesday , 01 /01 /2008 Time 4:33:08

Anbar, Jan 1, (VOI) –

Police forces found an unknown body in the Sunni Anbar's northern city of Falluja, Iraqi police said on Tuesday.

"Police personnel found an unknown body in northern Falluja on the road linking the city to Samarra, Salah al-Din province," a police source, who requested anonymity, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

"Eyewitnesses told the police that the body was of a civilian who had been shot dead by unidentified gunmen while he was driving his car on the Falluja-Samarra road," the source indicated.

"The gunmen were most probably al-Qaeda members," the source added. Police forces and Anbar Awakening Council fighters were deployed to the scene to hunt down armed groups attacking civilians on the Falluja-Samarra road.

Falluja, Anbar's largest city, lies 45 km west of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Security highlights in Iraq on Tuesday

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq Tuesday , 01 /01 /2008 Time 4:33:08

Baghdad, Jan 1, (VOI) –

At least three individuals were killed, five wounded, and eight others were arrested in different parts of Iraq over the past 24 hours, Iraqi police said on Tuesday.

Diala- One popular committees' fighter was killed and two others were injured during a security operation on Tuesday morning in southern Ba'aquba. Eights individuals were arrested during a joint U.S.-Iraqi crackdown operation in Bahraz district in the south of the province. Salah al-Din- Unidentified gunmen attacked a group of shepherds east of Dalouiya, killing one and kidnapping three others.

Kirkuk- Unknown armed men opened fire on a civilian in al-Rashad district, southwest of Kirkuk, killing him on the spot. Three Iraqi army soldiers were injured on Tuesday afternoon when an improvised explosive device went off near their vehicle patrol southwest of the city. Ninewa- Police forces arrested a gunman and seized his car in addition to weapons in his possession in Mosul city.

7 policemen killed, wounded in armed confrontations in Balad

Salah al-Din - Voices of Iraq
Tuesday , 01 /01 /2008 Time 4:33:08

Balad, Jan 1, (VOI)-

A source from the Balad police department said on Tuesday that a policeman was killed and six others were injured during clashes between police, security forces and gunmen in east of Balad.

"One cop was killed and six others, including two officers, were injured during fierce clashes between security forces and suspected al-Qaeda gunmen in Tal al-Thahab village in Yathreb district, east of Balad," the source, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

"The operation came after the village's residents called for Iraqi forces' help to face al-Qaeda attacks, which killed four civilians in the past three days," he explained.

He did not add more details.
Balad, Salah el-Din, is 90 km north of Baghdad.

IED wounds 3 soldiers southwest of Kirkuk

Kirkuk - Voices of Iraq
Tuesday , 01 /01 /2008 Time 4:33:08

Kirkuk, Jan 1, (VOI)-

Three Iraqi army soldiers were injured on Tuesday afternoon when an improvised explosive device went off targeting their vehicle patrol southwest of Kirkuk, a police source said.
"A roadside bomb exploded this afternoon targeting an Iraqi army vehicle patrol in al-Zab district, southwest of Kirkuk, wounding three soldiers," the source, who asked to remain anonymous, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"The explosion also caused material damage to the patrol's vehicle," he added.
"The three soldiers were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment," the source continued.
Kirkuk lies 250 km northeast of Baghdad.

Gunmen kill civilian near Kirkuk

Kirkuk - Voices of Iraq
Tuesday , 01 /01 /2008 Time 4:33:08

Kirkuk, Jan 1, (VOI)-

A civilian was killed on Tuesday in an armed attack southwest of Kirkuk, said a police source.

"Unknown armed men opened fire on a civilian in al-Rashad district, southwest of Kirkuk, killing him on the spot," the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) under condition of anonymity.
"The body was sent to the forensic medicine department in the Kirkuk Public hospital," he said.

He did not provide further details.
Kirkuk is 250 km northeast of Baghdad.

Three shepherds killed, kidnapped in Dalouiya

Salah al-Din - Voices of Iraq
Tuesday , 01 /01 /2008 Time 4:33:08

Dalouiya, Jan 1, (VOI)-

Unidentified gunmen attacked a group of shepherds east of Dalouiya, killing one of them and kidnapping three others, a police source said on Tuesday.
"In the wee hours of the morning, unknown gunmen attacked a group of shepherds in Abu Heleig region, east of Dalouiya, killing one shepherd and kidnapping three," the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

"They stole hundreds of sheep and a number of the shepherds' vehicles and fled to al-Azim district in Diala province," he added.

"Police and army forces launched a wide-scale operation to hunt down them," the source said.

Dalouiya, Salah el-Din province, is 100 km north of Baghdad.

Three popular committees fighters killed, injured in Ba'aquba

Diala - Voices of Iraq
Tuesday , 01 /01 /2008 Time 4:33:08

Ba'aquba, Jan 1 (VOI)-

One popular committees' fighter was killed and two more were injured during a security operation waged on Tuesday morning in southern Ba'aquba, a security source said.

"A joint force of Iraqi and U.S. personnel waged a crackdown operation at dawn in Bahraz district in southern Ba'aquba, where one popular committees fighter was killed and two others were injured as well as arresting eight persons, including a police officer," the source, who requested anonymity, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Bahraz region had witnessed armed confrontations between joint security forces and popular committees' fighters, during which 30 fighters and seven policemen were killed.

Ba'aquba, the capital of Diala, is 57 km northeast of Baghdad.

Iraq: 5 Family Members Abducted, Killed

By BRADLEY BROOKS Associated Press Writer

Jan 1, 2008, 7:11 AM EST

BAGHDAD (AP) --

The bodies of a Sunni policeman and four of his family members were found on the outskirts of a village north of Baghdad early Tuesday, just hours after they were abducted from their home by unknown gunmen, authorities said.

The assault occurred in Diyala province.

Tuesday's attack happened on the northern outskirts of Jalula, 80 miles northeast of Baghdad.

An unknown number of gunmen attacked the policeman's home at dawn. Authorities found his body and that of his father, two brothers and a cousin about two hours later, a local policeman said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Hours later in the same province, a man and his 16-year-old son where killed in a drive-by shooting, police said. The two were standing outside their home in Tahwelah, about 19 miles east of Ba'aqouba.

Late Monday, Iraq's government released statistics on the number of civilians and security force members it said were killed in 2007.

According to the health, defense and interior ministries, 16,232 civilians, 432 soldiers and about 1,300 Iraqi policeman died in 2007. The year before, the ministries said that 12,371 civilians, 603 soldiers and 1,224 policeman were killed by violence.

The Iraq government's figures were roughly in line with a count kept by The Associated Press (which is very much less than independent Iraqi sources, such as VOI, used daily by ccun.org, as above).

For 2007, the count found that 18,610 Iraqis were killed. In 2006, the only other full year an AP count has been tallied, 13,813 died.

The AP count - which includes civilians, government officials, and police and security forces - is compiled from hospital, police and military officials, as well as accounts from reporters and photographers. Insurgent deaths were not included. Other counts differ and some have given higher civilian death tolls.

In addition to policeman and Iraqi soldiers, the more than 70,000 (US-recruited) fighters who have joined an anti-al-Qaida in Iraq movement are being targeted by extremists.

---

Associated Press writer Hamid Ahmed contributed to this report.

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