Eight Iraqis, one American killed, Spanish military attache assassinated
An American military spokeswoman said that one US soldier was killed in an attack by a missile at a military vehicle to the north of Baghdad early Thursday morning.
Meantime, three Iraqi policemen and five civilians were killed in a booby trapped car explosion at a police center near al-Mohsin mosque in al- Sader city to the north of Baghdad.
According to police sources and witnesses, the matter pertains to a suicide attack. An official in the Iraqi police said earlier that the explosion resulted in killing one policeman and the executor of the operation, whereas sources of the American military police said that between 7 to 10 persons were killed in the explosion.
News reports said that the final outcome of the victims are not yet clear, while witnesses stressed that the number of those killed ranges between 15 to 20. The explosion took place one day after a large demonstration in al-Sader city in protest of the existence and performance of certain officials at the local municipal council. The city also witnessed several demonstrations in the few past days in protest of the occupation forces detention of certain Shiite men of religion, who are the majority in the city.
Meantime, one Spanish diplomat was killed as he was leaving his house in Baghdad. A spokesman for the Spanish foreign ministry said that the victim is the military attache Jose Antonio. Sources at the Spanish ministry of defense said that the killed man was a member of the air force and one of the most important members in the Spanish national and military intelligence department. He was in Iraq during the US invasion.
Spanish sources said that Antonio was killed the same way as member of the Iraqi Interim governing council Aqila Hashemi ten days ago.
Worthy mentioning that Antonio is the second Spanish military man to be killed in Iraq since the fall of Baghdad in April. On August 19, the Spanish Brig Maneul Martin who was in a UN mission was killed in the attack against the UN headquarters at al- Qanat hotel in Baghdad.
Spain, which is considered Washington's closest associates in the war against Iraq deploying a force of 1250 troops in al-Dewaneyah and al-Najaf areas under a Polish leadership.
Meantime, the Iraqi security forces announced wounding of two policemen when unidentified persons attacked their patrol in al-Miqdadiyah city to the north east of Baghdad. One of the wounded said that the patrol was exposed to intensive gun fire launched by unidentified gunmen who escaped after the attack.
In Karkouk, the city's electricity grid lines were exposed to an attack launched by unidentified persons that resulted in cutting the electricity grid from most parts of the city for 24 hours. The official in charge of distributing the electricity grid of the northern region survived an assassination attempt.
Officials at the electricity department in Karjouk said that the attack whose intention is not disclosed resulted in depriving more than 18 residential areas in the city from electricity. He added that the director of electricity circulation of the northern area Sabah Shakkour survived the assassination attempt made by unidentified persons while inspecting his department on Wednesday evening and was hit by a bullet in his leg.