Sunni Arab guerrillas deployed two massive car bombs in Baghdad to attack leaders of the Al-Anbar Awakening Council who were meeting in the city, killing at least 22 persons and wounding 42. McClatchy says that at least one major al-Anbar Awakening leader was among the dead, and that major figure Ali al-Hatem was wounded. Also among those killed were 6 bodyguards for the leaders of the council, while 20 bodyguards were injured.
In Diyala Province to the northeast of Baghdad, some 3500 demonstrators massed in downtown Baquba, the provincial capital, to protest against the police chief, whose sacking they demanded. They say that he is involved in kidnappings and killings of Sunni women. Members of the Awakening Council were among the demonstrators. They are on strike, and on Sunday clashed with the police, allegedly killing 3 of them.
Aljazeera English has video:
Al-Hayat also reports that that Iraqi parliament continues to be deadlocked on important issues such as passing the budget and arranging for provincial elections.
Sunni Arab guerrillas bombed a gas pipeline in northern Iraq, producing massive electricity outages that are likely to last at least a week.
McClatchy reports political violence in Iraq on Monday:
‘ Baghdad
– Around 8:30 a.m. a roadside bomb targeted a civilian car in Al Mashtal area, killing one civilian and injuring two others.
– Around 9 a.m. a roadside bomb exploded near Al Mansour fuel station injuring two people.
– Around 11:55 a car bomb exploded near tribal sheikh Ali Hatem’s office in Arasat area. About noon another car bomb targeted police patrols heading to the first car bomb site in Al Hurriya intersection exploded, 11 people were killed and 30 others were injured and Hatem was injured also in the bombing.
– Around 6 p.m. a parked car bomb near a police station in Dora neighborhood, injured three civilians and two police officers.
– Police found three bodies throughout Baghdad, one in Fidhiliyah, 1 in Obeidi and one in Tobchi.
Diyala
– Gunmen kidnapped Dr. Ahmad Al Jubouri in Muqdadiyah.
– Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Muqdadiyah, three gunmen were killed.
Nineveh
– Mortar shells slammed into Al Zinjeli area in Mosul, injuring two residents.
– Gunmen attacked an Iraqi army convoy in Al Nahrawan area in Mosul, three gunmen were killed in the attack and one soldier was injured.
– A roadside bomb targeted a U.S. military convoy in Al Wahda neighborhood, injuring a woman and a child were near the bomb site.
– Gunmen attacked and injured one man near Mosul.
Babil
– A bomb placed in a neighborhood representative (Mukhtar) office in Hilla exploded yesterday, injuring four people.
Basra
– Gunmen kidnapped a foreign journalist and his translator Sunday night. An Iraqi police captain identified the kidnapped to be a journalist who works for CBS news and said the gunmen using two civilian cars kidnapped the two men near Qasr Al Sultan hotel in Basra. ‘
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