Tuesday: 143 Iraqis, 5 GIs Killed; 124 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 1:14 p.m. EST, Mar. 21, 2007

During a second day of increase violence, at least 143 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 124 more were injured. Most of the incidents were small in nature with the exception of a clash near Fallujah that left almost 60 people dead. Also, two American servicemembers were killed when an explosive device blasted their vehicle during a security patrol in Baghdad. The U.S. military also released the names of three previously unreported GI deaths that occurred on Mar. 17 in separate events in Baghdad, Tikrit, and Muqdadiyah.

Former vice-president under Saddam Hussein, Taha Yassin Ramadan, was executed before dawn for crimes against humanity. He is the third Saddam aide to be executed since the former leader’s execution in December.

A combined force of police and tribal fighters battled in Amariya with gunmen believed linked to al-Qaeda. Nine tribal fighters and eight policemen were killed along with 39 of the gunmen. Seventeen people were also wounded.

In Baghdad, a car bomb near a mosque in the Ubaidi area killed one and injured three more. Three people were killed and seven injured during a car bomb attack near a Karrada area bridge. A separate car bomb near a police station killed seven and wounded 20 more. Four were injured when a bomb when of in a mini-bus traveling through eastern Baghdad. Mortars fell in the Abu Dsheer neighborhood where they killed seven and wounded 20 others. Another mortar wounded a man in Zaafaraniya. One person was killed and six others wounded during a bomb in the al-Mashan trade center. A suicide car bomber drove into a checkpoint in western Baghdad where he killed one soldier and wounded another. During a U.S-led raid in Hurriya, three gunmen were killed. Two police officers were injured during a drive-by shooting in the Mahdiya area. Captain Hussein Abdulilah was gunned down in the Mansour district. Also, 32 bodies were recovered mostly in western neighborhoods.

The body of a man was discovered in Fallujah.

A car bomb west of Fallujah in Halabsa left at least 10 dead and seven injured.

Just north of Baghdad on Monday, mortars injured five people while south of Baghdad mortars wounded four more.

A body was found in Kirkuk; the victim had been stabbed and tortured.

A policeman was gunned down on a main road near Kirkuk. Last night, nine civilians were injured during a car bomb blast near a girls school.

Also, the Iraqi army reported killing three gunmen in different locations.

Gunmen killed a man and wounded another in the town of al-Zab.

A woman and child were injured during a mortar attack in Iskandariya.

Two policemen were killed when a bomb exploded near their vehicle in Haditha.

In Mosul, clashes erupted between U.S. troops and gunmen.

A motorcycle bomb injured no one when it blew up in Madaen.

Ten civilians were injured during a drive-by shooting in Bani Saad.

During clashes in Tikrit, four gunmen and one civilian were killed, while four others were injured.

A previously unreported death occured during an attack in Samarra last night.

Several members of the the Shirqat police force were injured during a roadside bomb blast.

The bodies of two brothers were recovered in al-Touz.

Two truck drivers were kidnapped near Akreesh.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis