Saturday: 1 US Soldier, 32 Iraqis Killed; 43 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 10:10 p.m. EST, Dec. 15, 2007

At least 32 Iraqis were killed and 43 more were wounded on a day heavy with small attacks. Many of these attacks involved Awakening Council (Sahwa) patrolmen in several cities. These Awakening Councils began working with Coalition forces several months ago. Also, an MND-B soldier was killed in Ninewah province during a small arms attack yesterday.

In Baghdad, gunmen attacked an Awakening Council headquarters in Adhamiya, killing two patrolmen and wounding 10 others. In Doura, gunmen wounded three patrolmen at a checkpoint. In a third incident involving neighborhood patrols, gunmen killed a patrolman and wounded five others.

Also in the capital, four dumped bodies were recovered. A suicide bomber detonated his cargo before reaching a police checkpoint in Rashad; the blast killed one civilian and wounded three others. Meanwhile a bombing in Bayaa wounded at least one child. In New Baghdad, a pair of roadside bombs killed two civilians and wounded two policemen, while gunmen separately killed a traffic policeman riding in his car. In Waziriya, gunmen injured two civilians in a car. And, no one was injured during a bombing near the main tax office.

A cluster bomb, thought to be leftover from the 2003 invasion, killed two children and wounded three at a football field in Karbala.

One Awakening Council officer was killed and four patrolmen were wounded during an armed attack in Duluiya.

West of Mosul, Awakening Council members and al-Qaeda suspects clashed in the al-Biaaj area. One council patrolman and three gunmen were killed. Three patrolmen were also wounded.

A sniper wounded a policeman in central Fallujah.

An Iraqi soldier was killed and three were wounded during an incident south of Kirkuk.

In the Diyala River Valley near Muqdadiyah, U.S. air forces killed three gunmen. Also, an IED wounded two men and one woman.

A gunfight in Diyala province left four dead, including three police officers, and several wounded.

Four bodies were found near Baquba in Hdid.

An al-Qaeda leader was killed in Mosul yesterday.

Diwaniyah’s former police chief and one of his colonels were arrested for aiding militia fighting the Coalition. Also, a dozen homes belonging to followers of Muqtada al-Sadr were raided and ransacked.

Fifteen displaced families returned to Khalis thanks to improving conditions.

Due to Wednesday’s massive bombing in Amarah, the Ministry of Interior is restructuring the police force in Maysan province. Others measures, including a night curfew are being set in place as well.

Also, Iraqi’s Anti-Corruption Board estimates that five million Iraqi children are now orphans.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis