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MNF kills gunman, arrests 2 in Kirkuk

April 15, 2009 - 04:11:15

KIRKUK / Aswat al-Iraq:

Multi-National Force (MNF) personnel have killed one gunman and arrested two others in southwestern Kirkuk province, according to a local security source.

“The gunmen were trying to plant an improvised explosive device (IED) on Kirkuk-Rashad road near al-Hamira village (35 km southwest of Kirkuk city),” a source from the joint coordination center in the city told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
The body of the deceased, named Wessam Moussa Issa, was taken to the morgue, the source added.

Kirkuk, an oil-rich and mixed city of Kurds, Turkmen, Christians and Arabs, lies 250 km northeast of Baghdad.

SS (P)/SR

Kirkuk blast death toll on the rise

April 15, 2009 - 03:43:42

KIRKUK / Aswat al-Iraq:

Casualties from the car bomb blast that occurred earlier today in Kirkuk province have reached 34, according to a local security source.

“The toll from the car bomb explosion that occurred in al-Wasiti neighborhood has reached 11 dead, all policemen, and 23 wounded persons, including children, women and cops,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

The source noted that the toll is likely to increase further as some of the wounded are in critical condition.
Earlier today, a local police chief said that a car rigged with explosives targeted a security patrol in al-Wasiti neighborhood near al-Asdiqaa gas station, southwestern Kirkuk.

Kirkuk, an oil-rich and mixed city of Kurds, Turkmen, Christians and Arabs, lies 250 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

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Booby trap wounds 13 in Kirkuk

April 15, 2009 - 02:31:40

KIRKUK / Aswat al-Iraq:

Thirteen persons, including six police personnel, were wounded in a car bomb blast that hit Kirkuk city today, according to a local police chief.

“This afternoon, a car rigged with explosives went off in al-Wasiti neighborhood, near al-Asdiqaa gas station, southwestern Kirkuk, injuring six policemen and seven civilians according to an initial count,” Col. Ahmed Shamirani told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Kirkuk, an oil-rich and mixed city of Kurds, Turkmen, Christians and Arabs, lies 250 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

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House of local official in Wassit raided

April 15, 2009 - 12:20:04

WASSIT / Aswat al-Iraq:

Iraqi security forces raided the house of a member in Wassit’s new provincial council, north of Kut city.
“The house of Wafaa Kadhum Araq of Al-Ahrar Movement at al-Sowayra suburb, 135 km north of Kut, was raided by Security forces on the wee small hours of Wednesday (April 15),” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

The source did not mention further details, but noted that no one was arrested during the operation.
Al-Ahrar Movement Bloc won three seats of Wassit’s new provincial council.
Kut, the capital city of Wassit province, lies 180 km southeast of Baghdad.

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Weapons depot found in Samarra

April 15, 2009 - 12:06:11

SALAH EL-DIN / Aswat al-Iraq:

Police forces on Wednesday found an amount of weapons and ammunitions during a security operation in south of Samarra, a security source said.

“A police patrol on Wednesday (April 15) came under bombs attack in al-Senaei neighborhood in south of Samarra, but without casualties,” Colonel Ismail Khalaf Jassem told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The patrol’s vehicle was damaged, and the forces responded to the attackers,” he explained.
“The forces hunted down the gunmen, during which they found an amount of weapons and ammunitions hidden in a deserted garage,” he also said.

Samarra is 120 km north of Baghdad, while Tikrit, the capital of Salah el-Din, lies 175 km north of Baghdad.

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Sticky bomb injures 2 civilians in Baghdad

April 15, 2009 - 08:48:12

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

Two civilians were wounded on Wednesday in a sticky bomb explosion in northern Baghdad, a police source said. “A bomb, stuck to a civilian car by unknown gunmen, went off in al-Attifiya region in northern Baghdad, injuring two civilians and causing material damage to the car,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “Security forces sealed off the region and rushed the wounded to a nearby hospital for treatment,” he added.

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Arrests:

Iraqi detainees in U.S. jails drop to 12,530

April 15, 2009 - 05:13:38

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

The number of Iraqi detainees in U.S.-run prisons in Iraq has dropped to 12,530 following the implementation of the security agreement between the two countries, a U.S. media adviser said on Wednesday.

“There are an estimated 12,530 Iraqi detainees in Baghdad’s Cropper and Basra’s Bucca prisons,” Kareem al-Sayyab told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
On November 13, 2008, the Iraqi government signed a security pact with the United States, under which all detainees who have been cleared of all wrongdoing were to be released from U.S. jails.

According to Multi-National Force (MNF) figures, 34 juveniles and 137 non-Iraqi detainees are currently held by the U.S. forces.

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149 wanted, suspects arrested in Basra

April 15, 2009 - 02:05:28

BASRA / Aswat al-Iraq:

Security forces arrested 149 wanted men and suspects in operations that were conducted throughout Basra province during the last 24 hours, said a source from Basra Operations.

“37 persons wanted for terror and criminal cases, and 112 suspects were arrested during the operations,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“28 illegal vehicles and 64 unregistered motorcycles were seized during the operations,” he added.

The oil-rich city of Basra lies 590 km south of Baghdad.

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2 involved in killing Iraqi-American citizen given death sentence

April 15, 2009 - 01:54:38

WASSIT / Aswat al-Iraq:

Wassit’s criminal court on Wednesday handed down the death sentence to two defendants who were convicted of being involved in killing an Iraqi-American businessman in his home in Kut city last July 2008.

“The two convicted defendants will be hanged according to this verdict,” a judicial source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The two defendants confessed to having committed the crime,” he said.

“The verdict will be carried out after 30 days, which is the period allocated for an appeal,” he added.

Kut, the capital city of Wassit province, lies 180 km southeast of Baghdad.

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