Saturday: 130 Iraqis, 2 GIs Killed; 11 Iraqis, 2 Coalition Soldiers Wounded

Updated at 12:45 a.m. EST, Jan. 7, 2007

Although the week began relatively peacefully, violenge surged today, in part due to a renewed effort to control sectarian violence in the capital. At least 130 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and another 11 were wounded in violent attacks. Military authorities announced the deaths of two American soldiers in separate incidents. Also, a GI and a British soldier were injured separately.

One soldier died this morning in southwestern Baghdad when his patrol came under fire. On Friday, a soldier died from injuries sustained due to enemy action in Anbar province. Also, an American soldier and his Iraqi interpreter were wounded when a bomb went off near their vehicle in Nuamaniyah. In Basra, a British soldier was injured when his convoy came across a roadside bomb. Mortars also rained on a British installation north of Basra, but no casualties were reported. And, U.S. forces killed four gunmen during a raid on suspected bomb makers.

In the capital, the Iraqi army began a campaign to quash sectarian violence and death squad attacks; 30 militants were killed during a firefight north of the Green Zone. In a separate incident, police clashed with gunmen, after arriving at a location in central Baghdad to investigate a mass dumping of 27 bodies; no casualties were reported in the fighting. At least another nother 44 dumped bodies were recovered throughout the city.

Also in Baghdad, a car bomb killed three and wounded four others in the Doura area. In Karradah, Major General Ali Yassar, the chief of Baghdad police, survived a bomb attack on his motorcade; one civilian died and six were wounded, including three bodyguards.

In Mosul, at least six bodies were discovered in different neighborhoods. Also, gunmen killed a Kurdish laborer who worked for the government, and at least one other person.

Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Aqab valley; two gunmen were killed in the incident.

A policeman and a former Baath Party member were shot dead in separate incidents in Diwaniya.

Two former Baath Party members were gunned down in separate incidents in Najaf.

A former Baath Party member was shot dead in Kifl.

In Iskandariya, the body of a man who was shot to death was found on the main road.

Two bodies were discovered in Basra; authorities suspect the bodies might belong to a pair of Iraqis who were kidnapped yesterday along with an American of Iraqi descent.

The morgue in Kut received three bodies.

And a family of six was abducted in Muqdadiyah.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis