Wednesday: 72 Iraqis Killed, 88 Wounded

Updated at 12:50 a.m. EST, March. 22, 2007

After a couple of days of elevated violence, attacks have tapered off a bit. However, at least 72 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and another 88 were wounded. No foreigners were reported killed.

U.S. forces in Taji killed five gunmen, detained three and destroyed an alleged bomb making facility. Bahaa al-Araji, a member of parliament and the al-Sadr political movement, said U.S. troops raided his office in Kadhamiya where they took a pistol, rifle and computer card. The police chief in Khalis was detained by U.S. forces.

In Baghdad, Iraq security forces detonated a truck bomb in a controlled explosion which still managed to injure 12 people, including soldiers, and collapse part of a major highway. A roadside bomb injured three policemen in the Zayouna neighborhood. A pair of roadside bombs injured four people on Palestine Street. The body of an al-Nahrain TV producer was discovered at the morgue; he had been tortured. Also, 33 dumped bodies were discovered throughout the capital.

Police found seven bodies throughout Mosul on Tuesday. A suicide bomber killed five and wounded 40 at the headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. In the evening, a car bomb injured two police officers.

Mortars killed eight people and wounded 18 others in Madaen.

Two bodies belong to police commandos and bearing gunshot wounds were found in Diwaniya. A policeman was killed and eight people, including civilians were wounded during clashes with gunmen. A body was also found.

In Fallujah, a former army brigadier and his friend were killed in a drive-by shooting.

Two bombs were planted near the homes of two Hilla policemen; although the bombs causes property damage no one was injured in the assassination attempts.

A gunman was wounded during security operations in Basra.

The editor the al-Safir daily newspaper succumbed, on Friday, to wounds received on Feb. 11 outside his home in Baghdad. He died at a hospital in Jordan.

Three policemen were killed when a motorcycle bomb exploded in Haditha.

Kut is under a complete curfew. Three bodies belonging to Mehdi Army members who were kidnapped three days ago were found.

Also, armed groups have banned the use of satellite dishes in Muqdadiyah and are removing them while threatening residents. And, the Iraqi Red Crescent released a report that over 10,000 families have moved to Wassit Province since February in order to avoid violence elsewhere.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis