Sunday: 2 US Soldiers, 31 Iraqis Killed; 17 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 11:50 p.m. Feb. 3, 2008

In an attempt to quell bad feelings between Sunnis and Shi’ites, the Iraq parliament passed a law allowing former Ba’ath Party members to return to the posts they held during the Saddam regime; however, there is a possibility that the law could be overturned during an automatic review process. Separately, a spokesman for the Baghdad security plan held a news conference, where he described the deteriorating infrastructure Baghdad residents suffer through. Otherwise, it was a light news day with only 31 Iraqis killed and 17 more wounded in recent attacks. Also, two American soldiers were reported killed.

One American soldier died of non-combat-related causes yesterday in Ninewah. Also, the DOD reported that a rocket-propelled grenade killed a U.S. soldier on Thursday.

Officials in Diwaniya released 309 of the 566 detainees captured during the recent Operation Lion's Leap due to a lack of evidence involving them in any crimes; however, 75 are expected to be given death sentences. It is believed that many people held long-term in jails across Iraq are innocent, as they have not yet received trials.

In Baghdad, three unidentified bodies were found dumped in separate neighborhoods. A senior police commando official was killed in Mansour when a bomb planted in his car exploded; two bodyguards were also wounded. In a separate incident nearby, security contractors shot and wounded a man. In Suleikh, a mortar round killed an Iraqi soldier and wounded four others. Also, an IED targeted a U.S. convoy passing through al-Bayaa, but the number of casualties was not reported.

In Baquba, gunmen attacked an Awakening Council meeting and killed four members, whose ages ranged from 17 to 21-years. A police officer was also killed. A bomb blast wounded three people, including a Diyala provincial council member; a curfew was set in place after the incident.

Two people were injured during a car bombing in Mosul’s al-Maliya neighborhood. Also, residents are stocking up on food and other items ahead of a prolonged assault by Iraqi security on suspected al-Qaeda elements and other gunmen who continue to torment the city.

A IED wounded a policemen in Fallujah.

A policeman was killed during a drive-by shooting in Kut.

U.S. forces killed three suspects and detained 36 in northern and central Iraq.

The U.S. base in Kirkuk received mortar fire. Also, gunmen attacked a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party office, injuring one of the guards.

In Samarra, Iraqi police reported that seven civilians were killed during a U.S. air attack in the al-Milah neighborhood.

Gunmen killed a man in al-Hamdaniyah yesterday.

The U.S. military apologized for killing nine civilians wounding three more during a security operation in Iskandariyah.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis