Security Summary: May 9, 2007

Demonstrators at one of several rallies across Iraq following Vice President Dick Cheney's surprise visit to Iraq

Hilla- At least five civilians were wounded on Wednesday when an explosive charge went off inside a popular market in central Hilla, 100 km south of Baghdad, while two more people were wounded as a mortar round fell onto a residential area in north of the city, a police source said.

Diala- Baaquba hospital received on Wednesday four unidentified corpses and four more human heads, a source from the hospital said.

Diala- Unknown gunmen on Wednesday kidnapped five truck drivers in northern Diala and forced them at gunpoint to unknown destination, 57 km northeast of Baghdad, eyewitnesses said.

Mosul- Five civilians were killed on Wednesday in two separate attacks in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, a police source said.

Missan- A member of Missan provincial council survived on Wednesday an attempt on his life while another member was wounded in two separate incidents in the southern Iraqi province of Missan, eyewitnesses said.

Diwaniya- Unknown gunmen on Wednesday shot and killed a police officer outside his house in northern Diwaniya city, 180 km south of Baghdad, a police source said.

Basra- British forces wounded one gunman as they clashed with gunmen in northern Basra, while two British bases in the southern Iraqi city came under indirect fire with no damage reported, the spokeswoman for the Multi-National forces in southern Iraq said on Wednesday.

Baghdad- Iraqi and U.S. forces launched on Wednesday morning a search campaign in al-Bayaa neighborhood, southwestern Baghdad, in hunt for gunmen, local residents said.

Baghdad- Unknown gunmen on Wednesday shot and killed a Housing Ministry senior official in eastern Baghdad, a media source from the ministry said.

Hilla- Six mortar rounds were fired Wednesday morning onto a U.S. intelligence centre in Hilla, 100 km south of Baghdad, with no reports of casualties, a police source from Babel police command said.

Missan- Unknown gunmen killed on Wednesday two people, including a policeman, in separate attacks in Amara, 380 km southeast of Baghdad, eyewitnesses said.

Mosul- Two people were killed and another was wounded on Wednesday when gunmen attacked a car in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

Kirkuk- Unknown gunmen attacked and killed three Iraqi journalists along with their driver while riding a car in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, a security source said.

Baghdad- Iraqi security forces killed three gunmen and arrested 73 suspected militants in several areas in Baghdad, during the past 24 hours, under the Baghdad law-imposing plan, the Baghdad operations command said on Wednesday.

Mosul-The Iraqi army units on Wednesday arrested 11 persons suspected of having links to al-Qaeda in Iraq Organization in Ninewa's northwestern area of al-Kasak, an Iraqi army source said.

Arbil- At least 17 people were killed and 70 others were wounded on Wednesday morning when a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle crammed with explosives in Iraq's Kurdistan region capital Arbil, Kurdistan health minister said.

From VOI