Friday: 104 Iraqis, 8 GIs Killed; 22 Iraqis Injured

Updated at 12:35 a.m. EST, Feb. 3, 2007

Although violence is usually lighter on Fridays, at least 104 Iraqis were killed today and 22 injured throughout the country. Also, six American servicemembers died on Thursday and two died on Friday.

In Coalition news, three American soldiers were killed in separate vehicle accidents. Another soldier died of an apparent heart attack. Two more soldiers died during combat in Anbar province. U.S forces launched air strikes in Baghdad, where a U.S. helicopter crash killed two American soldiers. Witnesses said the helicopter was fired upon by gunmen, but the cause of the crash is under investigation. Several al-Qaeda leaders were reported killed in the air strikes. Also, in Ramadi, American troops killed 18 militia members.

British installations in Basra came under Katyusha rocket and mortar attacks, but no casualties were reported; on Thursday, militants distributed leaflets in Basra warning citizens not to cooperate with British forces. Also, the Bush administration released a new intelligence report on the state of Iraq.

In Baghdad, mortar attacks continued to plague several neighborhoods. In Khadimiya, one civilian was killed and five wounded when mortars fell on a residential neighborhood near an important shrine, where hundreds often gather for Friday prayers. Mortars also killed two people and wounded seven in the Wahda district. Another mortar attack killed one and wounded seven others in al-Furat neighborhood. Also, 23 bodies were found scattered throughout the city.

A roadside bomb in Mosul killed one police officer. Two bodies were found.

In Balad Ruz, gunmen shot dead attorney Walid al-Zihairi and three others. In a separate incident, two civilians were killed.

Three people were injured during a mortar attack in Khalis.

Mortars fell on Parwana where although they caused material damage, they injured no one.

The Sunni chairman of the Fallujah City Council, Abbas Ali Hussein, was gunned down in Fallujah. He was the third council member killed this year.

Three bodies were found in Kut.

In Suwayra, Iraqi forces backed by U.S. airplanes killed 45 militants and arrested six others.

An Iraqi army vehicle was blasted by a roadside bomb, but no casualties were reported.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis