Thursday: 3 Marines, 48 Iraqis Killed; 119 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at at 11:11 p.m. EDT, June 26, 2008

A pair of significant bombings shook Iraq today and underscored how tenuous the security gains made in the last few months actually are. Three U.S. Marines were among the dead in the attack in Karma. At least 48 Iraqis were killed and 119 more were wounded across the country as well.

A suicide bomber killed 20 Iraqis and wounded 25 more at a tribal council meeting near Fallujah in Karma. Three U.S. Marines were also killed. The head of the council, other tribal leaders, and police were among the casualties. Two interpreters were also killed but it is unclear whether they are counted among the 20 dead. This brings the total of Americans killed this week in Iraq to 13, including two civilians.

In Mosul, the second major bombing this week left 18 dead and about 80 wounded. An earlier rocket attack lured the provincial governor out of his office before the car bomb was detonated, but he was not hurt in the explosion. Another car bomb injured one person. In a separate incident, gunmen invaded a home and killed a female occupant. Three people were wounded in a roadside bombing.

In Baghdad, five students were wounded at an examination center when the education minister's bodyguards opened fire on them; the students were taking the opportunity to protest directly to the minister over poor services, and one student may have opened fire first. Two dumped bodies were recovered. Also, 49 suspects were captured, and the leader of a bomb-making cell was detained.

A civilian was killed and a policeman was wounded when mortars fell in Amiriya.

Two gunmen blew themselves up accidentally as they were planting a roadside bomb in Suleimaniya. One was killed instantly. The other died later of his wounds.

In Tuz Khormato, gunmen killed an Iraqi soldier during a U.S.-backed raid.

U.S. forces killed two suspects and captured 15 more, including two Egyptians, during operations in central and northern Iraq.

In Muqdadiyah, four shepherds were wounded in a roadside bombing. Sixteen suspects were detained in a separate incident.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis