Updated at 12:30 a.m. EDT, April 21, 2008
Early reports from Sadr
City and Baghdad suggest
that fighting between the Mahdi army and security forces has increased. Meanwhile,
two mass graves were found in Diyala province. At least 108 Iraqis were killed
and another 60 were wounded in violence across Iraq. No Coalition deaths were
reported.
A pair of mass graves were found in Diyala province, one near
Muqdadiyah and the other near Khalis. At least 47
bodies were found between them.
A day after Shi'ite cleric Moqtada
al-Sadr warned the Iraqi government that he would end his unilateral cease-fire
if the government does not stop harassing his followers, fighting in Sadr City
and Baghdad has reportedly increased.
Clashes continued in Sadr City, but also broke
out in New Baghdad and Kubra al Ghizlan.
In Sadr City,
nine gunmen were killed
at a U.S. checkpoint during retaliatory gunfire. Three
gunmen were killed when they were found planting a bomb. Eight
more were killed in separate events. Hospital officials said four
civilians and two boys were killed in overnight clashes. Another 22
people were wounded.
In Baghdad, a katyusha rocket wounded
seven people in Abu Dsheer. Mortars landed on Qanat St. and Husseiniyah,
but no casualties
were reported. Mortars in Kadhimiya left two
dead and 14 wounded. In New Baghdad, five
people were injured during a roadside bombing. A bicycle bomb explosion in
Abu Ghraib killed
two people and wounded four more. Six
dumped bodies were found.
Two
people were killed and five were wounded during an IED explosion near Diwaniya.
Two contractors
were found dead in Rashad.
In Muqdadiyah, an off-duty
police officer and his driver were killed during a drive-by shooting. The
officer's pregnant wife
was wounded.
The Sinjar council
official and his brother were found dead just hours after they were kidnapped
from their home. Also, gunmen blew
up a power plant.
Three minibuses carrying university students near
Baquba were stopped and their drivers
were kidnapped. In other report, nine students and a driver were kidnapped.
A third report noted
that Iraqi security forces freed some of the students. Also, one
person was killed and two others were wounded during the incident.
A weapons cache was found
in Mosul.
Gunmen killed
a police officer in Suleiman Beg.
At least 15
more suspects were killed during clashes near Nassiriya.
Compiled
by Margaret Griffis