Thursday: 2 GIs, 18 Iraqis Killed; 60 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 11:25 p.m. EDT, June 12, 2008

Baghdad was again rocked by a series of bombings today, while two U.S. servicemembers were killed. Across Iraq, at least 18Iraqis were killed and 60 more were wounded. Two Egyptian gunmen were also killed.

An American soldier was killed in a roadside bombing in Baghdad this afternoon. A Marine died in a non-battle-related incident on Wednesday. Two Americans were wounded in yesterday's bombing in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighborhood.

In Baghdad, the Interior Ministry and its police commando division took several hits: a parked truck bomb killed a police commando and two civilians in Aalawi; another 16 people were wounded, mostly police commandos. Three Interior Ministry guards were injured during a roadside bombing. Nine police commandos were wounded during a bombing on Palestine Street. A roadside bomb targeting a motorcade in Beirut Square wounded six people, including three guards who work for an Interior Ministry Major General. Many Iraqis fear this group and blame them for much of the sectarian violence that has plagued Baghdad.

Also in the capital, six soldiers were wounded when a gunman lobbed a grenade at a Safara checkpoint. A bomb targeting the mayor of Shabb did not harm him but it injured six people, including three bodyguards. Four dumped bodies were found today. Yesterday, three dumped bodies were recovered. A policeman and a civilian were wounded during a blast in Rusafa. A weapon's cache was found in Shula. A controlled bombing in Ghadeer left no casualties. Also, one of the victims of yesterday's bombing in Kadhimiya/Hurriya has died.

Five bombs planted in the Iraqi Islamic Party headquarters in Fallujah damaged the building and wounded a guard.

U.S. forces killed four suspects and detained nine during operation in northern and central Iraq.

Iraqi security forces arrested a senior member of an al-Sadr office in Kut. A roadside bombing wounded three civilians.

In Mosul, Iraqi forces captured two al-Qaeda suspects. Gunmen launched an attack on four truck drivers carrying crude oil. Two of the drivers were injured and one tanker was set ablaze. A policeman and a woman were injured in separate roadside bombings. Another bombing left one civilian dead and another wounded.

A "special groups" leader was arrested in Basra. The military uses "special groups" to indicate militiamen they believe are receiving aid from Iran.

In Ishaqi yesterday, three Sons of Iraq members were wounded as they repelled an al-Qaeda attack on their homes. Four gunmen, including two Egyptians were killed. The Sons of Iraq are a U.S-backed Awakening Council.

Police freed a captive in Amara.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis