Sunday: 18 Iraqis Killed, 21 Wounded

Updated at 12:20 a.m. EDT, July 28, 2008

At least 18 Iraqis were killed and 21 more were wounded in the latest round of attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported. Meanwhile, an expected million pilgrims are descending on the capital for a religious observance that ends on Tuesday. A group of them approaching from the south were killed near Baghdad.

Unknown assailants in Madaen killed seven young pilgrims, who were heading into the capital for a religious observance at the Imam Kadhim shrine. A million people are expected to visit the shrine in the northern Kadhimiya neighborhood. In 2005, rumors of a suicide attack created a stampede that killed about 1,000 people.

In Baghdad, clashes between an Awakening Council (Sahwa) patrol and policemen left one civilian dead and three more wounded. Gunmen wounded a police commander. A special groups leader was captured, and five other suspects were detained.

Clashes in Makhmour left three Iraqi servicemembers dead and three more wounded. U.S. troops were involved in the fighting, but no casualties were reported.

A coordinated gun and bomb attack on the Fallujah home of a Sunni politician left him and his son wounded, while two bodyguards were killed. A bomb near an Awakening Council station wounded one member.

In Mosul, gunmen killed the imam of the Sheikh Khalid mosque. Police arrested an Islamic State in Iraq member. Also, eight bombs were defused.

A roadside bomb in Suleiman Bek killed two Iraq soldiers.

In Buhriz, a roadside bomb killed two Oil Protection Services guards, who were riding on a motorcycle.

Seven Iraqi soldiers were wounded during a roadside bombing in Balad Ruz.

In Basra, one civilian was wounded in a roadside bomb that targeted an Iraqi patrol.

Gunmen launched an attack in Abu Khames where they injured a policeman and two children.

Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebel camps in the Mount Qandil area near the border. The PKK is fighting for an independent Kurdistan in parts of Turkey, Iraq and three other countries. Turkish forces frequently target Iraqi locations from which they believe the PKK launches attacks. Later in the day, Istanbul suffered a bombing attack that left 16 dead and 154 wounded. Many are pointing fingers at the Kurdish separatist group.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis