Sunday: 7 GIs, 1 Briton, 71 Iraqis Killed; 34 Iraqis Wounded, 19 kidnapped

Updated at 1:50 a.m. EST, Apr. 2, 2007

One British and seven American servicemembers were killed in three separate events today and yesterday, reported the U.S. military. On the other hand, civilian violence tapered off significantly over the weekend. Only 71 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and another 34 were wounded in attacks. The largest was a double suicide bombing at an Iraqi army base east of Mosul. Also, 19 people were kidnapped from a fake checkpoint north of Baghdad.

Four GIs were killed today in a roadside bomb blast southwest of the capital. Another two soldiers died yesterday in similar circumstances. The second group had been responding early Sunday to the attack on the first group. A Marine was killed in a non-combat-related event in Anbar province today as well. Also, a British soldier was killed by small arms fire in Basra.

Gunmen kidnapped 19 civilians who were from a small town near Baquba as they stopped at a fake checkpoint.

Near the Syrian border, Iraqi forces and tribesmen clashed with suspected al-Qaeda supporters. The battle left an unspecified number of tribesmen wounded and 21 of the suspected al-Qaeda fighters dead. The police were uncertain if all the dead were Iraqis.

Iraqi forces backed by U.S. advisors called for a U.S. airstrike when came under fire during a raid in Sadr City. U.S. forces killed a suspect and captured four others during operations in Baghdad and near the Syrian border. Three suspects were killed south of Samarra. Nine gunmen were also arrested near Hilla. And, two British soldiers were wounded north of Basra. Another 140 people were arrested in several raids.

In Baghdad, two top Sunni officials escaped, without injury, a roadside bomb attack on their convoy, but two guards were injured. Four people were injured in Doura when mortars struck the neighborhood. Mortars also fell in Yarmouk injuring three people. A roadside bomb failed to injure anyone in Salekh. Also, 16 dumped bodies were recovered.

East of Mosul at an Army base in Sinaea, two suicide truck bombs killed two people and wounded 17 others. Clashes also broke out in the area.

In Mosul, Gunmen killed a policeman and a civilian. Gunmen have taken over the telephone exchange and witnesses say that clashes have erupted following three explosions. U.S. air forces are in the area.

A bomb at a marketplace in Tuz Khormato killed two people and wounded four more.

Two bodies were discovered in Suwayra. One body had its head cut off, the other its lower limbs.

Four bodies were found in a home awest of Karbala.

In Jibla, gunmen attacked a Moqtada al-Sadr office and killed an official. In a separate incident, gunmen killed a guard at a Sunni mosque they then set on fire.

Gunmen injured an unspecified number of Iraqi soldiers duing an attack south of Fallujah.

A bomb blast wounded a policeman and a civilian in Kirkuk.

Several explosives were found and a pair of bombs were defused in and around Najaf.

In Tikrit, an Iraqi police lieutenant colonel was killed and his driver injured by gunmen. Two dumped bodies were discovered.

Gunmen killed six Iraqi soldiers between Dhilwiya and Balad last night.

A U.S. vehicle was damaged during a roadside bomb explosion near Kut.

Gunmen attacked al-Jabab village near the Syrian border; five people were killed and one injured.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis