Friday: 3 US Airmen, 1 Polish Soldier, 21 Iraqis Killed; 9 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 11:20 p.m. EDT, Nov. 2, 2007

At least 21 Iraqis were killed and nine more were wounded during light violence. Near the Balad air base, three U.S. airmen were killed during combat operations. Also, one Polish soldier was killed and three more were injured when a landmine blasted their vehicle.

According to the Interior Ministry at least 887 Iraqis were killed during October; however, the Health Ministry placed the number of dead unofficially at 1448 Iraqis. These figures include civilians, police and soldiers. The Interior Ministry's death count is slightly higher than the September figures but significantly lower than the previous month’s. In Basra alone, 40 dumped bodies and 27 murders were counted in October; these deaths were not reported in the Western media outlets.

An explosion in Ramadi wounded three people.

Near Tuz Khormato, gunmen killed one student and wounded another.

No casualties were reported after gunmen bombed a bridge linking Udhaim and Baquba.

Three policemen were arrested in Hilla for facilitating armed attacks.

U.S. forces killed 10 suspects in unspecified locations in Salman Pak.

In Baghdad, two bodies were found in Amil and Jihad, while a third body was found in Sadr City. Mortars in Binoog resulted in no casualties. No casualties were reported during two roadside bombings in Doura.

Two gunmen were killed in Rutba while a third was killed just outside town.

In Basra, hundreds of Sadrists staged a massive protest calling for an end to arrests and harassment.

Two dumped bodies were found in Mosul. Also, gunmen killed one person and wounded five others.

At least one other body belonging to a victim of sectarian violence was found in an unspecified city.

Police released 197 people from several jails after charges against them were dropped due to lack of evidence.

Also, the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration announced that very few Iraqis were displaced over the last three months. In Diyala, 53 displaced families returned home.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis