Friday: 3 GIs, 41 Iraqis Killed; 26 Iraqis, 1 Briton Wounded

Updated at 12:45 p.m. EST, Feb. 24, 2007

At least 41 Iraqis were reported dead today, most of them were found dumped in several cities throughout the country. Another 26 people were wounded. Fridays are relatively quiet because it is the Muslin prayer day and many journalists take the day off. Three American soldiers were also killed. A British soldier was seriously wounded north of Basra when his patrol came under fire.

The U.S. military reported that three American soldiers were killed in Anbar Province during combat operations yesterday.

In Baghdad, a gun battle between U.S. forces and gunmen left two young boys dead and one injured in the Zaafaraniya district. In the Amil neighborhood, mortars killed a child and injured five others. Another mortar injured three in the Abu Disheer area. Also, five bodies were recovered off the streets today.

Ten bodies were found scattered in Mosul yesterday; among the victims, who were all shot in the head, was a police captain.

Seven bodies, which were found scattered around Baquba, were turned in to the hospital.

Police found four dumped bodies in Kirkuk.

A U.S. airstrike in the Taji area killed five suspected militants aboard a vehicle.

Two people were shot dead near a coffee house in Khalis. Four people were injured when mortars fell in a residential area.

In Muqdadiyah, two men were killed as they were planting a bomb which detonated prematurely.

Mortars fell in Albo Alwan village where they killed three people and wounded 13 others.

Eight gunmen were arrested in conjuction with the security crackdown.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis