Bloody Weekend: 29 American Servicemembers, 1 British Soldier, 151 Iraqis Killed

Updated at 12:25 1.m. EST, Jan. 22, 2007

At least six more American servicemembers were reported killed in separate events that occurred on Saturday, and two Marines were killed on Sunday. This brings the weekend total to 29 American deaths. Meanwhile, 70 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 26 were wounded in violent attacks today. The weekend tally for them is 151 dead Iraqis and 59 wounded. A British soldier was killed near Basra and four more were injured. Also, Moqtada al Sadr’s Mehdi Army announced that they would resume relations with the Iraqi parliament.

American military authorities reported 8 new GI deaths for Saturday. Four American soldiers and one Marine were killed in Anbar province. One American soldier was killed and three more were wounded in a roadside bomb attack northeast of Baghdad, also on Saturday. On Sunday, two Marines were killed in Anbar Province. Also, Iraqi police are reporting the discovery of three dead GIs in Mahaweel as well but the U.S. military denied these reports. This brings the day’s total to 25 dead Americans making Saturday the third deadliest day for U.S. troops since invading Iraq. Nineteen of the American deaths had already been reported yesterday. Another two Americans were killed on Friday.

Meanwhile, a British soldier was killed and four others were wounded when they came across a roadside bomb north of Basra.

The political arm of Shi’ite milita leader Moqtada al Sadr has announced that it will end its boycott of the Iraqi parliament. The boycott came in protest of a meeting between U.S. President George Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and to press for a U.S. withdrawal timetable.

Combined Iraqi police and U.S. forces killed three militia members during a clash in Ramadi. The Iraqi army reported killing nine suspected militants and arresting 85 others throughout Iraq. Also, three Iranians were detained by Iraqi police in Mosul.

In Baghdad, six people were killed and 15 wounded in a bomb attack on a minibus traveling through the Karrada district. Another car bomb killed one person and wounded five near Beirut Square in eastern Baghdad. A roadside bomb near the al Ghadeer Bridge killed a police commando. And near the French Embassy, seven were killed in a pair of explosions. Also, 29 bodies were found dumped throughout the city.

Gunmen killed the head of a municipality in Dibis. In a separate incident, an oil facility was attacked; no casualties were reported, but the guards were disarmed, and an oil well was set on fire.

A suicide car bomber killed a woman and injured five others in Mosul. A policeman was killed in a separate incident.

In Abbasi, an army captain was killed and his brother kidnapped.

An employee of Sunni Endowment and six friends were kidnapped and killed in Madaen.

During a drive-by shooting in Falluja, two policemen were killed.

And gunmen killed two civilians near Muqdadiyah.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis