Thursday: 1 US Sailor, 1 British Soldier, 46 Iraqis Killed; 47 Iraqis Wounded

Updated at 11:25 p.m. EST, Dec. 13, 2007

This week’s surge in violence continues with at least 46 Iraqi dead and 47 Iraqi wounded in the latest attacks. Another five who were killed appear to be Arab foreigners. Also, a Navy Seal was killed in combat on Tuesday, while a British soldier died from wounds received in a vehicle accident.

At least sixteen bodies were found in a mass grave near Muqdadiyah. The bodies are thought to belong to men who were kidnapped and assassinated two months ago. Twelve of the victims were beheaded.

In Baghdad, three dumped bodies were found. Gunmen wounded the dean of the University of Technology and his daughter. In Mansour, a Iraqi contractor working for U.S. forces was gunned down. A car bomb in Waziriya killed one person and injured five others, including policemen. During security operations, Iraqi police killed a gunman in Madaen and detained six suspects elsewhere; two officers were killed and five more wounded. No casualties were reported during a bomb blast in Zaafaraniya. Also, three liquor stores were targeted by blasts overnight; however, no casualties were reported.

In Mosul, police shot and killed a suicide bomber; afterwards, a clash left two policemen and two gunmen dead. Gunmen killed one policeman and wounded four others in a southeastern neighborhood. A female hairdresser was killed during an armed attack at her home in the al-Karama neighborhood. Gunmen in al-Masaref injured two policemen. A bulldozer operator and three policemen were injured when a roadside bomb was detonated as they were removing roadblocks. Also, four bombs were defused in separate neighborhoods.

A body was found inside a house under construction in Hawija.

A suicide car bomber targeted the mayor of Hit. Two people were killed and 14 others, including civilians were injured.

Near Tikrit in the town of Dour, a father and son were killed in a shower of bullets. Yesterday, a policeman’s body was found in the Sour Shenas archeological area; he bore gunshots to the head.

As a precaution, the main streets in Kut have been sealed off in the wake of yesterday’s bombing in Amarah.

No casualties were reported after Katyusha rockets fell on Basra International Airport where British troops are headquartered. The attack comes just days before the handover of security to local Iraqi forces.

Iraqi police in Samarra killed five foreign suspects.

U.S. forces killed a suspect near Adwaniya and raided a Ministry of Education building in Sadr City, a suburb of Baghdad.

A roadside bomb attack killed a woman and injured a man in Khan Bani Saad.

Late yesterday, a roadside bomb near a petrol station in Khanaquin killed four people and wounded 10 others.

An Awakening Council member was gunned down in Baquba.

The Iraqi army killed one suspect and detained 26 more in unspecified locations. Another 11 were arrested in villages south of Kirkuk.

Also, U.S. forces released 340 detainees who had not been convicted. Tens of thousands of Iraqis are held in U.S. detention, many without having been to court.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis