Saturday: 81 Iraqis, 4 GIs Killed; 10 Iraqis, 3 Coalition Soldiers Wounded

Updated at 12:15 p.m. EST, Dec. 17, 2006

Today, military authorities reported that three GIs were killed and another wounded by a roadside bomb in Baghdad yesterday. Another U.S. soldier died from small arms gunfire in Ramadi. At least 57 American servicemembers have died in Iraq during December. Also, two UK soldiers were injured in Basra by a roadside bomb. A contractor from New Zealand was also reported dead. And, 81 Iraqis were killed or found dead and another 10 were wounded.

A New Zealand contractor was was killed when his armored vehicle was pierced by a shell; the exact of death is unreported, but his wife confirmed the event. During a raid in the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, U.S forces killed one militiaman and wounded a second.

Police in Baghdad recovered 53 dumped bodies; at least nine were killed execution style. It is believed that the majority of unidentified bodies belong to victims of sectarian violence. In the New Baghdad neighborhood of Tal Mohammed, gunmen and residents clashed; three residents were killed and one was wounded.

In Baquba, clashes between Iraqi soldiers and militiamen left two civilians dead and five others wounded. Gunmen also killed two policemen during an attack on a checkpoint, and police discovered 10 unidentified bodies.

Gunmen killed Sheikh Sattar al-Khadran and a companion in Zuhra; he was the leader of the Bayati tribe.

In Mosul, gunmen killed a man selling cooking gas canisters and a Christian car mechanic in separate incidents.

A roadside bomb in Kirkuk killed an Iraqi army officer and wounded three other soldiers. Police found two bodies in the city's Shwan area. Also, gunmen stormed a home, killing a man and kidnapping his wife. She was later freed by police, but not before being raped by the gunmen.

And in Iskandariyah, Sunni Sheikh Alaa Muhsin and Sheikh Ismail al- Khanfashi, head of an Iraqi NGO were gunned down.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis