Sunday: 51 Iraqis Killed, 138 Wounded

Updated at 7:03 p.m. EDT, Sept. 28, 2008

A significant number of small attacks left at least 51 Iraqis dead and another 138 wounded. The violence was spread out fairly evenly across northern and central Iraq. Tensions continue in Kurdish Diyala where the mayor of Saadiya escaped an assassination attempt. No Coalition deaths were reported. Meanwhile, hundreds of Christians protested a new elections law because it does not guarantee them seats on provincial councils.

In Baghdad, a combined car bomb and suicide bomber killed at least 19 people and wounded 72 more. Two car bombs in western Shi'ite neighborhoods killed 13 people and wounded another 35; the bombs targeted iftar shoppers in the Amil and Shurta Rabaa neighborhoods. At least one more person was injured in Bayaa. One person was killed and three more were wounded during a bombing in Mansour. A sniper killed three people, including a civilian, in Zayouna. Two dead bodies were found. Also, security forces killed one person and detained 29 more during operations; they also discovered several bombs.

In Mosul, gunmen killed a man and wounded his brother at their shop. A policeman was shot and killed. Gunmen killed a table tennis coach yesterday. In separate incidents, a hostage was liberated and a bomb was defused. Also, hundreds of Christians demonstrated in and around the city against a new provincial elections law; they say the removal of a clause that institutes a minority quota in provincial councils undermines their rights.

A roadside bomb in Khadraa blasted a motorcade carrying the Kurdish mayor of Saadiya. He was wounded along with seven others. Saadiya is within a region of Diyala province that borders the Kurdish Autonomous region. The central government wants to strengthen its control there and, despite local opposition, has ordered the local Kurdish Peshmerga to hand over greater security operations to Iraqi army troops.

Gunmen killed three people in Khan Bani Saad.

One man was killed and another was wounded in a drive-by shooting in Mussayab.

Three bodyguards were wounded when a roadside bomb in Tikrit targeted a motorcade carrying the governor of Salah ad Din province.

In Balad Ruz, two Iraqi soldiers were killed ten were wounded when they came across a roadside bomb.

Yesterday's clashes in Tuz Khormato left one gunman dead and two others wounded. Earlier reports reported only wounded policemen.

Gunmen wounded a policeman in Kirkuk, during an assassination attempt on a police official.

Najaf is implementing security procedures ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan.

One person was killed and another was wounded in Bab Sinjar when a roadside bomb was detonated.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis