Friday: 3 GIs, 55 Iraqis Killed; 30 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 11:56 p.m. EDT, July 20, 2007

At least 55 Iraqis were killed and 30 wounded during the latest round of violence. Three American servicemembers were killed and one was wounded in separate incidents yesterday. Also Pentagon statistics revealed that daily attacks reached a new high in June.

A Task Force Lightning soldier was killed and a second wounded during an explosion near their vehicle in Baghdad province. An MNC-I soldier was killed during a separate explosion in eastern Baghdad. Also, the DOD reported that a soldier died during an IED explosion in Baghdad on Tuesday.

Reuters is reporting that a study of Pentagon statistics shows that daily attacks are on the rise in Iraq. The average number of attacks in June was almost 178 per day, which is the highest daily average since the invasion. The average has been steadily climbing for the last four months or approximately the same period that a surge in American troops was experienced. These incidents include attacks on Coalition troops, other security forces, civilians and even infrastructure.

In Baghdad, 16 dumped bodies were found. U.S. forces killed three suspects and detained 44 others during a combat operation in a southern neighborhood. A roadside bomb in Mansour wounded a policeman. In al-Ealam, gunmen killed one civilian and wounded three others.

Two people were killed during a drive-by shooting in Diwaniya.

A U.S. helicopter killed a civilian and wounded five others, including women and children, in Mosul. The Iraqi army killed a man who was planting an IED in the al-Gharabi neighborhood. Also, gunmen targeting a police patrol with a hand grenade yesterday injured four civilians instead.

In Dhilu’iya, gunmen assassinated a former intelligence office and a headmaster yesterday. Two people were also wounded in the same drive-by shooting.

Five people were killed and four attacked yesterday during an attack in Jidaydat Al-Shatt.

Another five people were killed during an attack yesterday in Mansuriyat Al-Shatt.

In Muqdadiya yesterday, 13 policemen were kidnapped. A body was delivered to the hospital. Also, gunmen killed two people. Two women were killed in a northern suburb.

Mortars wounded 11 people in an-Zanjebeel.

In al-Hassawia, gunmen killed five people.

One person was killed during an attack on al-Gsayreed.

In Tikrit, one gunman was injured during an attack on a convoy belonging to a Salah ad Din governorate councilmember.

A strangled child was found in Derbindikhan.

An al-Qaeda leader was killed in Ramadi and four were arrested.

Four people were killed and three were wounded during clashes in Khalis.

In southern Turkey, two suspected Kurdish militants were killed when they refused to surrender to Turkish forces.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis