The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondent Mohammed al Dulaimy in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. Itís posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchyís Washington Bureau.
Baghdad
-- Around 4 a.m. an explosive device exploded targeting a convoy of pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia south of Baghdad and caused injuries for three.
-- Around 8 a.m., an IED exploded in Zafarania. No obvious target. The explosion claimed the lives of 2 civilians and injured one.
-- Around 10 a.m. gunmen attacked a bus, west Baghdad, carrying cleaning employees working at Baghdad international airport killing 4 workers and injuring 9.
-- Around midday an explosive device exploded targeting a police patrol in New Baghdad. The explosion killed one policeman and injured one civilian and one policeman.
-- Around 4 p.m. mortar rounds struck Al Amil neighborhood. The shelling claimed the lives of 2 civilians and injured 4. After that clashes between Sunnis and Shiites took place in the neighborhood. The clashes are related also to the increasing tension in the neighborhood after the killing of a Shiite family, few days ago, as they were leaving their house after receiving threats from Sunni extremists. In response 4 Sunni women were kidnapped by Shiites extremists seeking to exchange for the killers of the Shiite family.
-- Around 5 p.m. an IED exploded targeting an SUV convoy near Al Rasheed camp. The explosion claimed the lives of two civilians and injured 5.
-- Around 6 p.m. gunmen clashed with the Iraqi army in al Silaikh. 1 civilian killed.
-- Around 6 p.m. gunmen in uniforms using 5 vehicles (looked like MOI vehicles) set a fake checkpoint in Palestine Street, East Baghdad, and started to check the citizens' ID. The people living nearby started to engage with the gunmen. At the same time an American convoy approached the place and the gunmen fled. The U.S. soldiers burned the 5 vehicles and left the place, without allowing further investigations or taking the vehicles registration number so the police can chase the source of these vehicles, police said
-- 25 corpses were found all over Baghdad, all carried multiple gun shots and were hand cuffed.
Salah ad Din Province -- Around 11 a.m. gunmen kidnapped sheikh Hassan Jubara, head of the Salah ad Din provincial tribal council as he was heading back to Tikrit city. The gunmen kidnapped him southeast of Samarra city from a convoy of pilgrims was heading back from Saudi Arabia after finishing the Haj to Mecca.
Nineveh (Mosul) Province
-- 5 corpses were found in Mosul today. All carried torture signs and multiple gunshots. None was identified.
Kirkuk Province
-- 3 Iraqi contractors were abducted from their houses in Al Hawija, west of Kirkuk city, by gunmen using three Iraqi army uniforms. The contractors were working with the U.S. army, local police said.