Security Summary: March 11, 2007

An Iraqi soldier amuses himself with a soccer ball at a checkpoint today during the 4-hour vehicle ban for Friday prayers in Baghdad

Mosul- Two people were killed and two more wounded on Friday in clashes that erupted between Kurdish families from two villages in northeast of Mosul,402 km north of Baghdad, a police source said.

Balad- Unknown gunmen on Friday opened fire at a civilian car near Balad town, 70 km north of Baghdad, killing three women and wounding two men onboard, a police source said.

Touz- Unknown gunmen on Friday set fire on five oil tanker trucks carrying petrol to Touz district, near Kirkuk, 250 km northeast of Baghdad, a police source said.

Diala- At least two civilians were killed and two others wounded when an explosive charge went off on Friday at noon near Khanqin district, 160 km northeast of Baghdad, a police source said.

Baghdad- At least five people were wounded on Friday when a Katyusha rocket landed into al-Shomokh neighborhood in southeastern Baghdad, a security source said.

Falluja- Falluja hospital received on Friday seven unidentified bodies that were found dumped in different parts of Falluja city, 45 km west of Baghdad, a medical source said.

Diala- Five gunmen were killed on Friday in fierce clashes with U.S. and Iraqi forces in Diala province, a security source said.

Baghdad- Four U.S. soldiers were killed and eleven others were injured in attacks on Thursday in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the cities of Diala and Diwaniya, the U.S. army said on Friday.

Baghdad- At least 22 people were killed and over 60 wounded on Friday evening in a double explosion that targeted two bridges in southern Baghdad, a police source said.

Baghdad – Five civilians were arrested by U.S. forces within a raid on some residential areas in Ur neighborhood, eastern Baghdad, eyewitnesses said.

Baghdad – Iraqi journalist Jamal al-Atabi said the U.S. forces released his son Furat, a layout designer in the Iraqi newspaper al-Sabah after three months in detention.

Baghdad – Three U.S. soldiers were killed and nine others wounded in attacks on Thursday in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the cities of Diala and Diwaniya, the U.S. army said.

Kirkuk – The decapitated head of an officer in the Iraqi military intelligence corps was found in the district of al-Huweija, 70 km southwest of Kirkuk, an official source in the Iraqi police said.

Diwaniya – An Iraqi army soldier was killed and six policemen wounded when two explosive devices went off near two army and police patrols in Diwaniya, 180 km south of Baghdad, on Thursday night, a security source said.

Najaf – Unidentified gunmen killed an anti-narcotics police officer in front of his house on Thursday night, a security source in Najaf said.

Ninawa – Three civilians were wounded when an explosive charge went off near them on the road leading to Talafar district, western Ninawa province, a police official said.

Kirkuk – Local residents in Kirkuk said they heard three blasts in a U.S. military base in this northern Iraq city.

From VOI