Toll from al-Gayiara blast increases to 43 – BOC

July 21, 2009 - 01:31:02

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

The casualty toll from those who fell in the blast that took place in al-Gayiara public market of Sadr City, eastern Baghdad, have increased to four dead and 39 injured, the official spokesperson of Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) said on Tuesday.

“All the casualties are civilians,” General Qassim Atta told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“Security forces were able to defuse another explosive charge in the same market,” he said.

Earlier, police sources said that three civilians were killed and 16 others were wounded when an explosive charge went off at al-Gayiara public market of Sadr city, which is the fifth detonation in the Iraqi capital – Baghdad today.

MH (P)/SR

Car bomb in Ramadi kills 2, wounds 9

July 21, 2009 - 08:53:18

ANBAR / Aswat al-Iraq:

Two persons on Tuesday were killed and nine others were injured in a car bomb blast that ripped through Ramadi city, according to a local police source.

“Two persons, including a cop, were killed, and nine others, including four policeman, were wounded when a booby trapped car detonated near a gathering of police personnel near al-Falluja Restaurant in al-Jarayesh area, northern Ramadi,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Ramadi, the capital city of Anbar province, lies 110 km west of Baghdad.

SS (P)

Cop killed by roadside bomb south of Mosul

July 20, 2009 - 02:59:36

NINEWA / Aswat al-Iraq:

One policeman was killed on Monday in a bomb explosion in the south of Mosul city, a police source said.

“A roadside bomb went off on Monday (July 20) near al-Qayara district, south of Mosul, killing a policeman,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“Police forces found the bomb and while they were trying to defuse it, the bomb exploded remotely,” he explained.

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

SH (P)/SR

U.S. Marine killed in Anbar

July 20, 2009 - 12:15:20

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

A U.S. Marine was killed in a combat incident in the western Iraq province of al-Anbar, according to the U.S. army in Iraq.

“A Multi-National Force-West (MNF-W) soldier was killed in a combat incident in Anbar province,” the U.S. army said in a release as received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

The statement did not give further details.

The reported death brings to six the number of U.S. soldiers killed this month after withdrawing from the Iraqi cities, two of them reportedly killed in non-combat related incidents, and to 4,327 the number killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, including 106 in 2009.

AmR (P)

2 traffic policemen killed in separate attacks in Mosul

July 20, 2009 - 11:43:22

NINEWA / Aswat al-Iraq:

Two traffic policemen were killed in two separate armed attacks in the city of Mosul on Monday, a Ninewa police source said.

“A traffic policeman was shot down by unidentified gunmen on Monday morning near his home in al-Mosul al-Jadida area while he was heading for his work station,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“In another incident, gunmen opened fire at a traffic officer in the rank of lieutenant on Monday morning while he was on duty in the area of Karraj al-Shimal, eastern Mosul,” the source added.

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

AmR (P)

Farmer killed in IED blast in Jalawlaa

July 20, 2009 - 11:26:10

DIALA / Aswat al-Iraq:

A farmer was killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in the district of Jalawlaa on Monday, a security source in Diala said.

“The charge exploded in a farm in the village of Jaghat, Tabaj, Jalawlaa district, (30 km) southwest of Khanaqin, killing a farmer,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Khanaqin lies 155 km northeast of Baaquba.

“The body was removed to a morgue,” the source added, not giving further details about the incident.

Baaquba, the capital city of Diala province, is 57 km north of Baghdad.

AmR (P)

Policeman corpse found near Arbil

July 20, 2009 - 08:34:07

ARBIL / Aswat al-Iraq:

Policemen in Arbil found the body of a fellow cop showing signs of having been stabbed to death west of the province, a local police source said on Monday.

“The police found today (July 20) the body of a policeman in the rank of commissioner inside vehicle on the road linking Arbil to the western district of Makhmour,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The 40-year-old victim, who worked for the Arbil Police Department, had his hands tied and showed signs of having been stabbed with a knife,” the source said, adding the body was removed to a morgue in Arbil.

Aswat al-Iraq contacted Brig. Abdulkhaleq Talaat to comment on the incident but he gave no further details.

Arbil, the capital city of the semi-autonomous Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), lies 349 km north of Baghdad.

AmR (P)

2 cops killed, 4 wounded in Ramadi blast

July 20, 2009 - 07:15:36

ANBAR / Aswat al-Iraq:

Two policemen were killed and four others wounded when a car bomb blast targeted their patrol in central al-Ramadi city on Monday, a local police spokesman said.

“A car rigged with explosives went off Monday near an Iraqi police patrol on al-Kass street, central Ramadi, leaving two policemen killed and four others wounded,” Raheem Zebin, the Anbar police information department chief, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

On Saturday (July 18), four people were killed and 10 others wounded in a series of bombing attacks in different areas of Anbar, including a leading member of the sahwa (awakening) tribal fighters and a notable chieftain in the province.

Ramadi, the capital city of the predominantly Sunni province of al-Anbar, lies 110 km west of Baghdad.

AmR (P)

IED targets U.S. convoy north of Karbala

July 20, 2009 - 11:10:08

KARBALA / Aswat al-Iraq:

An improvised explosive device (IED) went off on Monday near a U.S. convoy in the area of al-Husseiniya, north of Karbala, a security source in the province said.

“An IED planted on the side of the road leading to the area between Karbala and al-Husseiniya, (20 km) north of Karbala, targeting a U.S. convoy that was returning to a U.S. army headquarters,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The U.S. base in al-Husseiniya is working on reconstruction and comprises the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) entrusted with implementing projects in the city,” the source added.

Aswat al-Iraq failed to get immediate comments from a U.S. army source on the incident.

The holy Shiite city of Karbala lies 110 km southwest of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

AmR (P)

2 Katyushas land in U.S. camp in Diwaniya

July 20, 2009 - 07:33:41

DIWANIYA / Aswat al-Iraq:

Two Katyusha rockets landed within the environs of the U.S. military camp ECHO in western al-Diwaniya province on Monday but no information was available on possible losses or casualties, a local security source said.

“The missiles landed in ECHO camp, (3 km) west of Diwaniya, of the U.S. forces. We could have immediate information on whether there were casualties or losses,” the source, who is from the Diwaniya Operations Room, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Meanwhile, the same source said police forces in Diwaniya found on Monday an unidentified body of a man clad in uniform in the area of al-Nahr al-Thalith, (65 km) east of the capital city of al-Diwaniya.

“The body showed signs of having been stabbed to death,” he said, adding the police are investigating the incident.

Diwaniya lies 180 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

AmR (P)

Blast in Nasseriya, no casualties, losses reported – U.S. spokesman

July 20, 2009 - 07:24:50

THI-QAR / Aswat al-Iraq:

A blast that targeted a military convoy escorted by Iraqi security forces in northern al-Nasseriya city was caused by a stun bomb and left no casualties or losses, a spokesman for the U.S. army in Thi-Qar province said on Monday.

“A 36-vehicle U.S. convoy was transporting logistics from al-Taleel base, (18 km) southern Nasseriya, to Missan province,” the spokesman told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

He did not give further details.

A security source in Nasseriya had told Aswat al-Iraq that an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in al-Fidaa neighborhood, northern Nasseriya, targeted a U.S. convoy carrying logistics to Missan.

Nasseriya, the capital city of Thi-Qar province, lies 380 km south of Baghdad.

AmR (P)

Security official survives blast in Kirkuk

July 20, 2009 - 04:03:19

KIRKUK / Aswat al-Iraq:

The suburbs and districts passports director in Kirkuk survived an assassination attempt with a sticky bomb that was planted in his car, a security source from the province said on Monday, explaining that the director and his driver were wounded in the blast.

“Colonel Sarmad Soad survived the explosion that took place in central Kirkuk Monday afternoon,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The colonel’s driver suffered serious injuries, and the car was damaged,” he said.

The source pointed out that the two injuries were admitted to Kirkuk’s public hospital, and that an investigation is underway regarding the incident.

The oil-rich city of Kirkuk lies 350 km northeast of Baghdad.

MH (P)/SR

6 civilians injured in 4th blast in Baghdad  

July 21, 2009 - 12:53:24

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

Six civilians were wounded when an explosive charge went off in central Baghdad on Tuesday before noon, according to a source from the Iraqi police. This is the fourth blast in the Iraqi capital today.

“The explosive charge was planted by unknown individuals in the Babal-Moadham neighborhood, central Baghdad,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“Security forces cordoned off the area, while ambulances rushed the injured to a nearby hospital,” he said.

Baghdad was woken up today to the sound of an explosion that took place at a yard where laborers gather in Sadr City, killing two civilians and wounding 25 others.

Two roadside bombs were detonated in the second incident today targeting the motorcade of the water resources minister in al-Karada neighborhood, central Baghdad, leaving 13 injured.

In the third attack today, one civilian was killed and four others were wounded when a booby-trapped car exploded on the highway near al-Rasheed market, southern Baghdad.

MH (P)/SR

13 people injured in 2 blasts in Karada

July 21, 2009 - 12:50:58

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq:

A total of 13 persons were wounded in two explosions that took place on Tuesday in Karada in central Baghdad, a police source said.

“Two explosive charges went off consecutively while the motorcade of the deputy of the ministry of water resources was passing, injuring 13, including three policemen,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The official was not hurt in the attack,” he added.

SH (P)/SR

5 Sahwa fighters injured by IED

July 21, 2009 - 09:42:24

BABEL / Aswat al-Iraq:

Five Sahwa council members on Tuesday were wounded when an explosive device hit their vehicle near Hilla city, according to a local police source.

“A roadside improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in al-Farsi area, al-Maseeb district (45 km north of Hilla) while a vehicle carrying Sahwa personnel was passing the location,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The blast wounded five Sahwa members and caused damage to the vehicle,” the source noted.

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

SS (P)

Anbar placed under curfew

July 21, 2009 - 06:34:41

ANBAR / Aswat al-Iraq:

A curfew was imposed on Anbar province as of Tuesday night until further notice, a police source said

“A curfew and a vehicle ban was slammed on all Anbar cities for fear of possible armed attacks as of Tuesday night (July 21) until further notice,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

The source asked citizens to remain indoor.

A security source had said earlier that Iraqi security authorities on Tuesday imposed a curfew on Falluja after receiving intelligence information regarding possible attacks in the city.

Ramadi, the capital of Anbar, is 110 km west of Baghdad.

SH (P)/SR

IED wounds 2 soldiers in eastern Mosul

July 21, 2009 - 06:01:45

NINEWA / Aswat al-Iraq:

Two soldiers were wounded on Tuesday in a bomb blast in eastern Mosul, a security source said.

“An improvised explosive device went off on Tuesday (July 21) targeting an army vehicle patrol in al-Krama region in eastern Mosul, injuring two soldiers,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

He gave no more details.

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

SH (P)/SR

Gunmen blow up house in Mosul

July 21, 2009 - 05:02:47

NINEWA / Aswat al-Iraq:

Unknown gunmen blew up a house of a retired brigadier, who had been assassinated last month, in southeastern Mosul, a security source said Tuesday.

“Unidentified gunmen on Tuesday afternoon (July 21) blew up a house of a retired army brigadier, Salah el-Din Ismail, in Palestine neighborhood in southeastern Mosul using explosive charges,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The house left no casualties as the family of the office left it after his assassination on June 14,” the source added.

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

SH (P)/SR