Saturday: 81 Iraqis Killed, 61 Wounded

Updated at 11:50 p.m. EDT, May 5, 2007

At least 81 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and another 61 were wounded during violence. The most significant attack took place in western Baghdad when a suicide bomber detonated his cargo among a group of police recruits. No foreign deaths were reported.

In the capital, a suicide bomber killed 16 police recruits and wounded 21 others in an attack in western Baghdad outside an army base near Abu Ghraib prison. Another suicide bomber rammed a car into the Karkh area police station, killing one officer and wounding as many as 10 others. In Bayaa, a mortar round killed a woman and injured two men. One person was killed and nine others wounded during an explosion in central Baghdad. Two civilians were injured when a mortar fell in Abu Dsheer. A roadside bomb injured two policemen in Saidiya. One person was killed and two injured during random gunfire in Amil. In al-Benook, two people were injured during shelling. In Karrada, a roadside bomb killed two and injured five others. Three youths were killed in a mortar attack while playing soccer in southern Baghdad.

Also in Baghdad, Iraqi forces killed one gunman and arrested 106 suspects. U.S. troops killed a civilian in the Shaab neighborhood. A senior U.S. commander was wounded by sniper fire while inspecting a controversial wall in the Adhamiya district. In southern Baghdad, a large truck bomb was discovered and confiscated. Late last night, Radio Dijla was again attacked; gunmen stole equipment from the empty station and then blew it up. And 11 bodies were recovered in various locations.

British forces accidentally killed an Iraqi policeman in Basra. The airport is closed indefinitely due to damage caused by shooting attacks. Katyusha rockets wounded five people. During a security crackdown, British forces killed six gunmen. Also a female captive was rescued.

A roadside bomb in Kirkuk killed one civilian and wounded three policemen. In a separate bombing, two civilians were wounded.

In Mosul, a neurologist was kidnapped as he left the main hospital on Friday; his body was later found by police. Three gunmen were killed during an attack on an army base.

In the area of Hibhib, gunmen killed five civilians and forced dozens of families to flee for their lives; calls to police for help were ignored.

A local council member in Baquba is missing and likely kidnapped.

The killing of a policeman in Samarra was followed by a curfew.

In Balad, a police lieutenant colonel was shot dead. Ten suspects were detained.

A Khalis policeman was killed and two were injured during an attack on a checkpoint. In a separate incident another policeman was killed.

Four members of one family were killed in Kanaan. Five people were kidnapped in a separate event.

Late Friday, the bodies of five policemen were found north of Baghdad, and at least 12 other bodies were found in unspecified locations throughout the country.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis