US Soldier, 36 Iraqis Killed in War Attacks, February 18-21, 2009

Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

US Soldier, 36 Iraqis Killed in War Attacks, February 18-21, 2009

Yaqen.net reported the following news:

- A US soldier was killed near Baghdad in a combat, increasing the number of soldiers killed during February to nine, and the official total death toll to 4,246 (which does not include the later death of injured soldiers) since the US invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

- An Iraqi secret intelligence agent was killed in Mosul by sticking a bomb to his car.

- A US Hummer vehicle was damaged in a roadside bomb in Al-Haswa area, in Abu Gharib, west of Baghdad.

- A US patrol was attacked with a roadside bomb in Mendali, Diala, damaging one of its vehicles.

- 2 US-recruited Sahwa fighters were killed by gunmen in Balad.

- A policeman was killed by gunmen in front of his home in Al-Latifiyah.

- A US patrol was attacked with a roadside bomb in Kana'an, Ba'aqouba, on Friday.

- US Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, announced sending 10,000 armored vehicles to Iraq, in an attempt to protect US soldiers from roadside bombs and gunmen attacks.

- 3 Iraqi policemen were killed in a roadside bomb attack in Mosul.

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IED wounds soldier in Mosul

February 21, 2009 - 01:37:26

NINEWA / Aswat al-Iraq:

An Iraqi serviceman on Saturday was wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) targeted his patrol vehicle in Mosul city, according to a local security source.

“The explosion occurred in Sumor neighborhood, southeastern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. The source did not provide further details of the incident.

Mosul, the capital city of Ninewa province, lies 405 km north of Baghdad.

SS (P)

Sticky IED wounds officer in Tikrit

February 21, 2009 - 12:52:27

SALAH AL-DIN / Aswat al-Iraq:

A sticky improvised explosive device (IED) on Saturday went off in downtown Tikrit city, wounding a police officer, according to a local security source.

“Lt. Arkan Sabir from the Quick Response Department (QRD) in Salah al-Din province was seriously wounded when an explosive charge stuck to his vehicle blew up in al-Arbaeen St, downtown Tikrit,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “A U.S. patrol vehicle took the wounded to a U.S. base for treatment,” the source added.

Tikrit, the capital city of Salah al-Din province, lies 175 km north of Baghdad.

SS (P)

Unknown body found near Makhmour

February 21, 2009 - 11:54:48

ARBIL / Aswat al-Iraq:

An unknown corpse on Saturday was found by Iraqi army personnel near Makhmour district, according to a military source.

“Today, an army force found a body of a man in his thirties on the main road linking Makhmour district to al-Qayara district near Diyozanti village (28 km west of Makhmour),” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The body bore gunshot wounds,” the source noted, adding that an investigation is currently underway to reveal the motivations behind the murder.

Makhmour is administratively affiliated with Ninewa province.

SS (P)

Gunmen wounded while planting IED

February 21, 2009 - 09:07:35

BABEL / Aswat al-Iraq:

Two gunmen on Saturday were wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) blew up while they were planting it near Hilla city, according to a police source.

“The explosive charge detonated in Jarf al-Sakhr area (60 km northwest of Hilla),” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “Meanwhile, police forces arrested a gunman in al-Qassem city (30 km south of Hilla), who is wanted in accordance with Article IV of the Terrorism Law,” according to the same source.

Hilla, the capital city of Babel province, lies 100 km south of Baghdad.

SS (P)

Soldier wounded in blast near Kirkuk

February 20, 2009 - 07:07:06

KIRKUK / Aswat al-Iraq: An Iraqi army soldier was wounded when an improvised explosive device went off near his patrol southwest of the province of Kirkuk on Friday, according to a security source within the joint coordination center in the city.

“The IED exploded near an Iraqi army patrol in a village in the district of al-Riad, (40 km) southwest of Kirkuk,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The soldier was rushed to receive treatment at a nearby hospital,” he added.

Meanwhile, the same source said, an IED planted by unidentified gunmen on the road between the exhibition grounds and the air base in Kirkuk was defused by coalition forces today (Feb. 20).

The source did not reveal further details about any of the two incidents.

The oil-rich city of Kirkuk lies 250 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

AmR (P)

3 shepherds killed in blast in Wassit

February 20, 2009 - 03:31:58

WASSIT / Aswat al-Iraq:

Three shepherds were killed when a landmine left from the 1980-1989 Iraqi-Iranian war went-off in eastern Wassit on Friday, a security source from the province said.

“The incident took place at Jasan district, 65 km east of Kut city,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The landmine exploded after the shepherds tampered with it,” he said.

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

MH (P)/AmR

Civilian killed by unknown gunmen in Babel

February 20, 2009 - 01:03:07

BABEL / Aswat al-Iraq:

A civilian was killed by unknown gunmen on Friday in northern Babel, a police source said.

“Unidentified gunmen killed a civilian in front of his house in al-Latifiya region in north of Hilla,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The gunmen fled to unknown place after the attack,” he added.

He gave no more details.

Hilla, the capital of Babel, lies 100 km south of Baghdad.

SH (P)

Police find unknown body in southern Babel

February 20, 2009 - 08:17:50

BABEL / Aswat al-Iraq:

Police forces on Friday found an unknown body in a house in south of Hilla city, a police source said.

“Policemen found an unidentified body in a house in al-Hamza al-Gharbi region in south of Hilla,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The decayed body bore signs of gunshot wounds,” he noted.

Hilla, the capital of Babel province, lies 100 km south of Baghdad.

SH (P)

2 civilians wounded in IED blast in Falluja

February 19, 2009 - 05:36:32

ANBAR / Aswat al-Iraq: Two civilians were wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in eastern Falluja city on Thursday, a police source in Anbar province said.

“An IED went off today (Feb 19) in central Karmat al-Falluja district, (20 km) eastern Falluja city, leaving two civilians wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The wounded were taken to the al-Falluja hospital for treatment while the main roads were closed as policemen combed the area in search of more IEDs,” the source added.

Falluja, the largest city of the predominantly Sunni province of al-Anbar, is 45 km west of Baghdad.

AmR (P)

Iraqi soldier kills 3, commits suicide

February 19, 2009 - 01:18:05

DIALA / Aswat al-Iraq:

An Iraqi army soldier killed three of his colleagues and then committed suicide at a checkpoint to the south of Baaquba city, said a security source from Diala province’s police.

“The soldier belongs to the Iraqi army 1st division,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“He was stationed at a checkpoint in al-Abara area of Bohroz district, 5 km south of Baaquba, where the incident took place,” he said.

“The serviceman was hysterical when he committed this act,” he added.

Baaquba, the capital city of Diala province, lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad.

MH (P)/SR

IED wounds 4 in Baghdad

February 19, 2009 - 01:12:32

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

Four civilians were wounded when an improvised explosive device went off on Thursday afternoon in southeastern Baghdad, a police source said.

“An improvised explosive device, planted by unknown gunmen on al-Rashied camp road in southwestern Baghdad, injuring four civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The forces sealed off the whole region and rushed the wounded to a nearby hospital for treatment,” he added.

SH (P)/SR

4 civilian wounded in blast in Baghdad

February 19, 2009 - 01:02:20

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

Four civilians were wounded on Thursday in a bomb explosion in central Baghdad, the spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command said.

“A locally-made bomb, left by unknown man near a popular restaurant in al-Salihiya region in central Baghdad, went off, injuring four civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

He did not add further details.

SH (P)/SR

Mass grave found in Diala

February 19, 2009 - 10:00:52

DIALA / Aswat al-Iraq:

Iraqi army forces on Thursday found three bodies in a mass grave in a village in the south of Baaquba, an army source said.

“Iraqi army forces found a mass grave containing three unidentified bodies in Abu Seif village in Bani Saad district in south of Baaquba,” Colonel Ali Mahmoud Mutaaeb told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The bodies, belong to three civilians, bore signs of gunshot wounds to the head and different parts of the body,” he added.

Baaquba, the capital of Diala, is 57 km northeast of Baghdad.

SH (P)/SR

Car bomb kills cop, injures 5 in southern Mosul

February 19, 2009 - 09:04:51

NINEWA / Aswat al-Iraq:

A policeman was killed and five people were wounded in a suicide car bomb explosion in southern Mosul, a security source said on Thursday.

“A suicide bomber blew up a car crammed with explosives on Thursday morning (Feb. 19) targeting a police vehicle patrol in Wadi Hagar region in southern Mosul, killing one policeman and injuring five, including three civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“Police found the remains of a body believed to belong to the attacker inside the car,” he added.

Mosul, the capital of Ninewa, is 405 km north of Baghdad.

SH (P)/SR

14 unknown corpses buried in Kirkuk

February 19, 2009 - 07:43:17

KIRKUK / Aswat al-Iraq:

A total of 14 unknown bodies were buried in a cemetery in Kirkuk on Thursday morning, a member of the Kirkuk provincial council said.

“A specialized committee in Kirkuk started Thursday morning (Feb. 19) buring 14 unknown bodies, all males, in a cemetery in Naja Ali region in south of Kirkuk,” Jawad al-Janabi told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“They bodies spent more than 6 months in the morgue,” he noted.

Kirkuk is 250 km northeast of Baghdad.

SH (P)

Islamic party leader killed in Baghdad

February 18, 2009 - 11:11:33

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

Unknown gunmen on Wednesday killed a leader of the Islamic party in southeastern Baghdad, a police source said. “Unidentified gunmen opened fire at the car of Samir Safwat, leader of the Iraqi Islamic party, while he was leaving his house in al-Zaafaraniya neighborhood in southeastern Baghdad, killing him instantly,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The gunmen fled to unknown place,” he added. The party urged the Iraqi government, mainly the interior ministry, to put an end to the criminal gangs and sectarian militias which target innocent people. The Sunni Islamic party is led by Vice president Tareq al-Hashemi.

SH (P)

Cop killed in bomb blast in Mosul

February 18, 2009 - 09:45:41

NINEWA / Aswat al-Iraq: A policeman was killed on Wednesday in a roadside bomb explosion in western Mosul, a police source said. “An improvised explosive device went off Wednesday (Feb. 18) targeting a police vehicle patrol in Souq al-Maash region in western Mosul, killing a policeman and damaging the vehicle,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. Mosul, the capital of Ninewa, lies 405 km north of Baghdad.

SH (P)

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