Security Incidents for 03/27/07

PHOTO: A man sits next to his relative who was wounded during a gunfire, in a hospital in Kufa about 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, March 27, 2007. Iraqi police and residents of Kufa, north of Najaf, said U.S. forces raided the home of Mohammed al-Tabtabayi, an aide of Moqtada al-Sadr, but he was not there at the time. His brother was detained, police said. Hospital sources said one person was killed and six wounded when a car and a motorcycle in the area of the raid were fired on. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to queries about the incident. REUTERS/Ali Abu Shish (IRAQ) [Looks like he lost his leg to US military gunfire. - dancewater]

Mosul- An explosive charge was detonated on Tuesday near the motorcade of the head of Ninawa provincial council in the city of Mosul, 402 km north of Baghdad, while a group of gunmen killed a college student near Mosul university campus, an official source in Ninawa province said.

Baghdad- Four U.S. soldiers were lightly wounded when a police station used by U.S. forces as a headquarters in the Shiite Sadr city in eastern Baghdad, came under Katyusha attack on Tuesday, a police source said.

Tikrit- Three public employees were killed by unidentified gunmen near al-Is-haqi district, 110 north of Baghdad, a security source in Tikrit said on Tuesday.

Kirkuk- Two children were wounded on Tuesday when an explosive charge went off near an elementary school in Kirkuk city, 250 km northeast of Baghdad, a police source said.

Hilla- A joint force of Iraqi army, police and U.S. forces arrested 14 suspected gunmen during a security operation that started early on Tuesday and ended at 2 pm in the city of Hilla, 100 km south of Baghdad, a police source said.

Kirkuk- Iraqi and U.S. forces on Tuesday arrested six persons wanted for involvement in armed attacks west of Kirkuk, 250 km northeast of Baghdad, a security source said.

Basra- A British force was attacked on Tuesday by indirect fire, while the British base in former president Saddam Hussein's palaces in central Basra, 550 south of Baghdad, came under attack, the spokeswoman for the Multi-National forces in southern Iraq said.

Baghdad- Iraqi security forces arrested 47 suspected militants in several areas of Baghdad, during the past 24 hours, under the Baghdad law-imposing plan, the Baghdad operations command said on Tuesday.

Baghdad- An unidentified number of people were killed and wounded on Tuesday in a suicide attack using two car bombs, targeting the house of Sheikh Dhahir Khamis al-Dari, the chief of Zawbaa tribe in western Baghdad, eyewitnesses said.

Tal Afar - Unidentified gunmen blocked the way of vehicles carrying medical assistance from Mosul to Talafar, west of Mosul, to aid victims of three bombing attacks that rattled the city earlier, an official in Ninawa province said on Tuesday. "A group of unidentified armed men blocked the way that links Mosul with Talafar to prevent ambulances and other vehicles from entering the city," the Head of Security and Defense Committee in Ninawa provincial council Hesham al-Hamadani told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) over the phone. At least 50 people were killed and 120 others were wounded on Tuesday in three bombing attacks in Talafar, Talafar mayor had said earlier.

Karbala – Electrical tower was blown up and all electricity to Karbala was shutdown.

BAGHDAD - One Iraqi soldier was killed and two wounded in a roadside blast in Ghazaliya district in western Baghdad, a Reuters photographer said.

GARMA - A U.S. combat post was attacked by two suicide truck bombs and about 30 gunmen west of Baghdad on Monday, but the soldiers succeeded in repelling them and killing 15. Eight U.S. soldiers were wounded, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.

RAMADI - A suicide car bomber blew up his vehicle outside a popular restaurant on a main road north of Ramadi, killing at least 17 people and wounding 32, a source at Ramadi hospital said. The restaurant was frequented by police in an area where local tribes have joined the tribal alliance against al Qaeda. Policemen were among the casualties, the source added.

BAGHDAD - Four people were killed and 14 wounded in a mortar attack in the Shi'ite enclave of Abu Dsheer in Doura district in southern Baghdad, police said.

ABU GHRAIB - A military leader of the Sunni insurgent 1920 Revolution Brigades, Harith al-Dari, was killed in an ambush in the Abu Ghraib area west of Baghdad, the group said in an Internet statement. Dari was also the son of an anti-al Qaeda tribal leader. A provincial official said he and three others were killed when two suicide bombers exploded their cars near his father's home. Relatives said he died when a rocket- propelled grenade hit his car. [Slightly different version of events below. – dancewater]

BAGHDAD - U.S. forces captured two leaders of a major car bomb cell responsible for attacks that killed around 900 Iraqis, mostly in the Shi'ite district of Sadr City in Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol killed a policeman and wounded two others in southeastern Baghdad, police said.

ISHAQI - Gunmen killed three people in the town of Ishaqi, 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad, on Monday, police said.

ISKANDARIYA - Six mortar rounds landed on a residential area in the of town Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad and killed five civilians and wounded 11 on Monday, the U.S military said in a statement. Iraqi police had said on Monday that three were killed and 13 wounded.

MOSUL - Police found the bodies of four people, including a policeman and a decapitated body, in different parts of Mosul, on Monday, police said.

DIWANIYA - Six bodies were found in different parts of Diwaniya, 180 km (110 miles) south of Baghdad, police said. The victims had been tortured, bound and shot.

MOSUL - Gunmen killed two employees of the social welfare office in Mosul in a drive-by shooting, police said.

ANBAR PROVINCE - A U.S. Marine died in combat in Anbar Province in western Iraq on Saturday, the U.S. military said.

BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained four suspected insurgents in the cities of Mosul, Falluja and Tarmiya during operations targeting foreign fighter facilitators and al Qaeda militants, the U.S. military said. U.S. forces also found and destroyed a weapons cache in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad.

KUFA - Police and residents of Kufa said U.S. forces raided the home of Mohammed al-Tabtabayi, an aide to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, but he was not there at the time. His brother was detained, police said. Hospital sources said one person was killed and six wounded when a car and a motorcycle in the area of the raid were fired on. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to queries about the incident.

BAGHDAD - Gunmen opened fire on a police patrol, killing one policeman and wounding two others on Monday in Um al-Maalif district of western Baghdad, police said.

BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol wounded four soldiers on Monday in Doura, police said.

Baghdad - A roadside bomb was detonated by explosive experts of the Iraqi police in Bab Al Moadam area, no causalities were reported.

Baghdad - A mortar shell landed in Abu Disheer causing the death of 3 civilians.

Baghdad - Gunmen killed Abbas Salah the first lieutenant in major crimes unit near his house in Zaiyouna neighborhood.

Baghdad -- This morning gunmen attacked the car of Sheikh Harith al Thari the son of the tribal leader Sheikh Thahir al Thari not far from his house. The attackers wanted to kidnap him, he and his companion resisted and killed some of the attackers. The attackers used an RPG rocket and destroyed the car. Later in the day the 1920 Revolution Brigades announced he was one of their field leaders. Sources from the area said he was a media man for the Brigades and his death comes after refusing to pledge loyalty to the Iraq Islamic State, an Al Qaeda linked group.

Baghdad -- A suicide car bomb approached Iraqi army check point and refused to stop, the soldiers killed the driver and the car detonated causing no causalities beyond the driver.

Baghdad --A mortar shell landed on the residents’ houses of Al Maalif neighborhood. 4 civilians were injured.

Baghdad -- A mortar shell landed in Kadhimiya neighborhood targeting a sport club. 4 civilians were injured.

Baghdad - Police found 15 corpses throughout the capital. The following is the number of dead bodies found in the neighborhoods: 1 in Bab Al Sheikh, 5 in Baia, 3 in Amil, 2 in Saidiyah, 1 in Abu Ghraib, 2 in Hurriyah, 1 in Yarmouk.

Tal Afar (Ninawa province) - Around 4:30 p.m. in the busy market of Tal Afar a truck loaded with flour parked and the driver told the people to gather to receive their share of the humanitarian aid that he is carrying. The truck exploded. A second parked car bomb exploded in the bus station in the city around the same time. The two explosions claimed the lives of 55 civilians and injured 130. [Later estimates were 80 killed. – dancewater]

Diyala - Two Iraqi policemen were injured when an American helicopter opened fire at their vehicle in Al Hwaider area yesterday night, Iraqi police said today.

Diyala - Two civilians were injured when Iraqi police clashed with gunmen were attacking the Mohammad Sakran village.

Diyala - A roadside bomb targeted a police patrol in Al Abara area north of Baqouba today. Two policemen were killed.

Baqouba - A suicide car bomb targeted Iraqi security forces of Baqouba.

Diyala - Several mortar shells targeted the general hospital in the city today. The mortar shells landed not far away from the hospital and caused no damages or casualties.

Najaf - A joint Iraqi-American force raided the house of a prominent Sadr aide Saeed Mohammad al Tabtabae and besieged Al Sahla neighborhood. The raid led to the arrest of Tabatabae's brother. The soldiers shot at a driving by car and killed the driver and injured a pregnant woman. They were heading to the hospital. [Another report says that two civilians were killed. – dancewater]