The latest in Nouri Al-Maliki

Baghdad blasts target Shi'ites, kill 63

2011-12-22T08:00:09Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A wave of bombings killed at least 63 people in Baghdad on Thursday, the first attacks since Iraq's Shi'ite-led government was engulfed in a crisis that risks fracturing the country along sectarian and ethnic faultlines.

The bombings, just days after the last U.S. troops lef...

VP arrest warrant plunges Iraq into crisis

2011-12-19T17:30:35Z

Iraq issued an arrest warrant for its Sunni vice president on anti-terror charges Monday, deepening a crisis that one leader warned threatened the unity government, just a day after US troops left.

Less than a year before the cabinet was formed, Iraq's fragile political truce appeared to be unraveling, with the Sunni-backed Ir...

Iraq says PM possible target in Green Zone bomb

2011-12-02T15:00:21Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi authorities said on Friday a rare attack inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone this week was carried out by a suicide bomber in a car and may have targeted the country's prime minister.

Reports a suicide bomber was able to penetrate the Green Zone, which houses the U.S. and other embassies as well as...

PM urges Iraqis not to attend Baghdad demos

2011-02-24T10:30:31Z

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called on Iraqis not to participate in massive planned demonstrations in Baghdad on Friday, describing their organisers as insurgents and loyalists of Saddam Hussein.

His remarks were markedly stronger than warnings issued by Iraqi security officials, who have claimed that the protests w...

Twin suicide blasts kill 16 in central Iraq

2011-01-19T14:30:58Z

A suicide bomber rammed an ambulance packed with explosives into a security headquarters on Wednesday, killing 14 people in the second major attack against Iraqi forces in as many days.

Another suicide attack in a nearby town killed two others and wounded a top provincial official, shattering a relative calm in Iraq since the formation of a new government by Prime Mi...

Suicide bombers kill four in Iraq police station

2010-12-29T08:30:20Z

Two suicide bombers on Wednesday killed four policemen in a police station in the northern city of Mosul, including an officer who oversaw a deadly raid on militants, Iraqi security officials said.

A third bomber was shot dead before setting off his explosives belt in the attack targeting Lieutenant Colonel Shamil Ahmed Oglah, who commanded the operation last week against ...

Iraq twin bombings kill seven

2010-12-27T09:31:00Z

Twin bombings targeting Iraqi government offices in Ramadi Monday killed seven people and wounded dozens, in a first test for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki since he assumed the security portfolio.

Police said a car bomb exploded near the provincial headquarters in the heart of Ramadi city, 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Baghdad...

Car bombings in Iraq kill 18

2010-11-08T08:00:23Z

Police and local officials said the attacks also wounded 58 people, mostly Iranian pilgrims.

In Karbala, a suicide bomber pulled up his booby-trapped vehicle alongside a bus carrying pilgrims from neighbouring Iran then detonated his payload, police officials said.

The explosion killed 10 people, four of them Iranians, and wounded another 42, hospital officials said.

The b...

Horrific Iraqi Bombing (167 Killed): Yahoo!

2010-11-03T00:05:55Z

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Iraqi PM warns of attacks as U.S. withdraws: TV

2010-08-27T15:45:12Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Friday his government had information al Qaeda-linked groups were planning a series of attacks across the country, state television reported.

Maliki made his comments as the BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A series of car bombs killed at least 12 people and wounded scores in the Iraqi cities of Ramadi and Falluja on Sunday, while the prominent governor of troubled northern Nineveh province escaped an assassin...

Baghdad attacks on Shiite pilgrims kill 70

2010-07-08T06:16:06Z

A string of attacks against Shiite pilgrims in the past three days killed 70 people in Baghdad, security officials said on Thursday, exposing the continued ability of insurgents to inflict bloodshed.

The death toll was another blow to the leaders of a country which remains dogged by sectarian strife and has only a caretaker government more than four months after a general election in which no clear winner emerged.

Almost half of t...

Fifteen killed in Baghdad central bank attack

2010-06-13T11:15:33Z

Suicide bombers and gunmen in military uniform killed 15 people on Sunday in an unprecedented attack on the Iraq Central Bank in Baghdad that sparked a firefight with security forces.

The violence erupted at around 2:50 pm (1150 GMT) when a suicide attacker wearing an army captain's uniform detonated his payload near the building, causing multiple casualties, a high...

Fifteen killed in Baghdad bank siege

2010-06-13T08:15:24Z

Suicide bombers and gunmen wearing military uniforms killed 15 people and took hostages on Sunday in a daring raid on the Iraq Central Bank in Baghdad, triggering an ongoing siege with security forces.

The violence began at around 2:50 pm (1150 GMT) when a suicide attacker wearing an army captain's uniform detonated his payload near the building, causing multiple ca...

Iraq official alleges Qaeda plotted World Cup attack

2010-05-17T11:00:30Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi security forces have arrested a Saudi al-Qaeda member who an official said on Monday was involved in a plot to attack next month's World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa.

Car bombs kill 58 in Iraq

2010-04-23T09:16:58Z

A series of five car bombs, three during prayers at Shiite mosques in Baghdad, and other attacks across Iraq killed 58 people on Friday, just days after the government said Al-Qaeda was on the run.

The violence wounded dozens more and underscored the unrest that continues to plague a nation whose politicians are struggling to form a government almost...

Iraqis say Qaeda deaths will not improve their lives

2010-04-20T05:00:29Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqis welcomed Tuesday the killing of al Qaeda's top local leaders but said they were more concerned about the power cuts, lack of jobs and corruption that blight their daily lives.

"I care more for public services than I care about these deaths," government employee, Al-Qaeda's top two commanders in Iraq have been killed in a joint US-Iraqi military raid north of Baghdad, dealing Osama bin Laden's global terror network a major blow, US leaders said.

Al-Qaeda's top two commanders in Iraq have been killed in a joint US-Iraqi military raid north of Baghdad, dealing Osama bin Laden's global terror network a major blow, US leaders have said.

Al-Qaeda's top two leaders in Iraq have been killed in a joint US-Iraqi military raid north of Baghdad, dealing Osama bin Laden's global terror network a major blow, American forces said on Monday.

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi...

Top two Al-Qaeda chiefs in Iraq killed: Maliki, US

2010-04-19T10:17:01Z

Al-Qaeda's top two leaders in Iraq have been killed in a joint US-Iraqi military raid north of Baghdad, dealing Osama bin Laden's global terror network a major blow, American forces said on Monday.

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi...

Top two Al-Qaeda in Iraq chiefs killed

2010-04-19T09:16:55Z

The top two Al-Qaeda figures in Iraq, who had direct links with Osama bin Laden, were killed north of Baghdad, dealing the organisation a "potentially devastating blow," the US army said on Monday.

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi...

Top two Al-Qaeda in Iraq chiefs killed: Iraqi PM

2010-04-19T08:16:35Z

The two leading Al-Qaeda figures in Iraq were killed in a major operation involving US forces north of the capital Baghdad, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on state television Monday.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki gave his backing Monday to calls for a Sunni Arab former rebel militia to be reactivated to help stop deadly bombings that have rocked the nation's security.

The apparent willingness to make greater use of the US-backed Sahwa (Awakening) or Sons of Iraq was a U-turn by Mali...

Iraq in 'open war' with Qaeda after Baghdad bombs

2010-04-07T08:16:03Z

Deadly bomb attacks in Baghdad are aimed at pressuring political blocs battling to form a government, a top politician said Wednesday, as Iraq declared "war" with Al-Qaeda over the surge in violence.

Six bombs in the capital killed at least 35 people on Tuesday, two days after another co-ordinated set of attacks against foreign embassies killed 30 pe...

Attacks kill 12 as Iraqi troops and police vote

2010-03-04T18:00:11Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Twelve people were killed in Baghdad on Thursday, including seven soldiers and police blown up by suicide bombers, days before a poll that will test Iraq's prospects for stability as U.S. troops prepare to leave.

Thirty-five soldiers and police were also wounded when two attackers with explosive belts struck at c...

Suicide bomber kills 41 Shi'ite pilgrims in Iraq

2010-04-16T07:14:43Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew herself up on Monday among Shi'ite pilgrims on the outskirts of Iraq's capital, killing at least 41 people in the latest attack in a violent run-up to next month's election.

Iraq is trying to leave behind years of warfare set off by the 2003 Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Wednesday, a day after a new wave of bombings.

"The cabinet decided on Tuesday to offer rewards of up to 100 million dinars (85,000 dollars) for information about car bombs," Maliki told a news conference.

The plan still needs to go before parliament.

Maliki also a...

Embattled Iraq insurgency shifts tactics, eyes poll

2010-04-16T08:28:39Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - By staking its reputation on improving security, Iraq's Shi'ite-led government has made itself a target for insurgents determined to undermine the prime minister ahead of national polls next year.

Local security forces helped tame much of the violence that has plagued Iraq since 2003, but the political maneuverin...

Iraqi PM to be grilled over Al-Qaeda bombing

2010-04-16T08:31:06Z

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will submit to a grilling Thursday by furious MPs demanding to know how Al-Qaeda bombers slipped past security cordons to launch devastating attacks in Baghdad.

Maliki, who sacked the capital's security chief on Wednesday, was called before parliament after the coordinated bombings killed 127 ...

Iraqi MPs to question interior minister over blasts

2010-04-16T08:31:35Z

Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani is to appear before furious MPs on Thursday after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sacked Baghdad's security chief over attacks in the capital that killed 127 people.

Maliki acted shortly after police claimed that the bombers, who also wounded around 450 people, were backed by g...

Baghdad security chief sacked, Al-Qaeda claims attacks

2010-04-16T08:31:52Z

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has sacked Baghdad's security chief over a string of coordinated car and truck bombings claimed by an Al-Qaeda group that killed 127 people.

The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) issued a statement on a forum for Muslim extrem...

Iraq PM sacks Baghdad security chief over blasts

2010-04-16T08:32:15Z

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sacked Baghdad's security chief on Wednesday after attacks which killed 127 people, with police charging that the bombers were backed by groups in Syria or Saudi Arabia.

Maliki's intervention came as enraged MPs demanded answers from the country's le...

Iraq PM fires Baghdad security forces chief

2010-04-16T08:32:19Z

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki fired the head of Baghdad's security forces on Wednesday after bombings in the capital which killed 127 people, a statement from his office said.

"Nuri al-Maliki, as the commander in chief of the armed forces, ordered the removal of Lieutenant General Abboud Qanbar from his post," th...

Baghdad attackers backed by foreign groups: police

2010-04-16T08:32:43Z

Baghdad bombers who killed 127 people were backed by groups in Syria or Saudi Arabia, Iraqi police charged on Wednesday, as enraged MPs demanded answers from the country's leaders over the blasts.

The death toll from Tuesday's attacks was more than the number killed by ...

Iraq bombers backed by foreign groups: police

2010-04-16T08:32:48Z

Baghdad bombers who killed 127 people were backed by groups in Syria or Saudi Arabia, Iraqi police charged on Wednesday, as enraged MPs demanded answers from the country's leaders over the blasts.

The death toll from Tuesday's attacks was more than the total number ki...

Car bombs rock Iraqi capital, 112 killed

2010-04-16T08:35:14Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least four car bombs killed 112 people in Baghdad on Tuesday, leaving charred buses and scattered body parts in a blow to the government's efforts to show it can defend Iraqis before U.S. troops withdraw in 2011.

The blasts could undermine Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's claims to have br...

Iraq urges UN to stop neighbours' meddling

2010-04-16T09:27:30Z

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki appealed on Monday to the United Nations to take action against Iraq's neighbours he accused of meddling in its internal affairs as he met a UN special envoy.

The Iraqi premier also said three people behind twin suicide bombings in central Baghdad ...

Baghdad governor wants minister sacked over carnage

2010-04-16T09:35:09Z

Baghdad's governor called on Tuesday for the Iraqi interior minister and the capital's security forces chief to be fired over twin bombings claimed by Al-Qaeda that killed at least 135 people.

Salah Abdul Razzaq's fiery comments came at a news conference in the provincial government offices in central Baghdad that were a target of Sun...

Parties blame security forces for Baghdad bombings

2010-04-16T09:36:17Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Politicians blamed the security forces on Tuesday for Iraq's bloodiest bombing in two years, and an al Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for the attack in which 155 people were killed.

Two high-profile attacks in the last two months have raised doubts about ...

Police chief among 10 officers killed in Iraq

2010-04-16T10:26:55Z

A northern Iraqi police chief and nine other officers were killed on Tuesday in a series of roadside bomb attacks targeting patrols near the restive oil hub city of Kirkuk, officials said.

The blasts followed a spate of bombings on Monday that left 22 people dead nationwide, on what was the worst day of violence since the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began more than t...

Ten killed in car bomb attacks across Iraq

2010-04-16T10:27:34Z

Ten people were killed in attacks across Iraq on Monday, eight of them in a suicide car bomb on a security checkpoint in the western city of Ramadi, a former Al-Qaeda stronghold, police said.

The predominantly Sunni Arab city, capital of Anbar province, was a key insurgent base in the aftermat...

Two children among 12 killed in Iraq attacks

2010-04-16T10:27:31Z

Twelve people including two children were killed across Iraq on Monday, eight of them in a suicide car bomb on a security checkpoint in Ramadi, a former Al-Qaeda stronghold in the west of the country.

Ramadi, a predominantly Sunni Arab city and capital of Anbar province, was a key insurgent ba...

Iraq says 18 terror groups dismantled in August

2010-04-16T10:28:28Z

Iraq's anti-terrorist squad broke up 18 insurgent networks and made 66 arrests last month, including members of Al-Qaeda, a high-ranking official told reporters in Baghdad on Sunday.

"The anti-terrorist force dismantled 18 networks across Iraq," said the official, who wore a black face mask to conceal his identity for security reasons.

"We have...

Iraq's Maliki pledges victory amid criticism

2010-04-16T10:42:05Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki assured Iraq on Saturday that its forces would defeat terrorism despite the year's deadliest bombings, ignoring remarks from a minister that the government had fallen into a false sense of security.

It was Maliki's first p...

Iraq arrests senior security officers after day of carnage

2010-04-16T10:42:42Z

Iraq arrested 11 senior security officers on Thursday as public anger mounted after the government admitted that negligence at checkpoints led to 95 people being killed in two massive truck bombings.

The police, army and intelligence chiefs detained are being questioned over security failings that culminated in the attacks, just minutes apart outside the ministries of finance and foreign affairs, which also left 600 wounded.

Major

Suicide truck bomb kills 34 in northern Iraq

2010-04-16T11:43:03Z

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide truck bomb killed at least 34 people leaving a mosque on Saturday, hours after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki urged Iraqis not to lose faith if a U.S. military pullback resulted in more insurgent attacks.

Almost all <...

PM warns of worse to come after Iraq bombing

2010-04-16T11:51:09Z

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki warned on Thursday that attacks could increase in the coming weeks ahead of the US troop pullout from urban areas, after a deadly car bomb hit the south of the country.

Police arrested two men, including an Al-Qaeda member, in connection with Wednesday's blast in a market in Batha,...

Maliki warns of worse to come after Iraq bombing

2010-04-16T11:51:35Z

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Thursday warned that attacks could increase in the coming weeks ahead of the US troop pullout from urban areas, after a deadly car bomb hit the south of the country.

Police arrested two men, including an Al-Qaeda member, in connection with Wednesday's blast in a market in Batha,...

Iraq PM warns of further attacks

2010-04-16T11:51:41Z

Iraqi police on Thursday arrested two men, including an Al-Qaeda member, over a car bombing in the south of the country as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki warned attacks could worsen in the coming weeks.

Wednesday's blast in a market in Batha, a town in the largely peaceful southern province of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Tuesday hailed the arrest of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, said to be the leader of the Al-Qaeda umbrella group blamed for a wave of bloodshed across the nation.

Maliki referred to Baghdadi as "the head of evil, the leader of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki confirmed on Tuesday that the authorities are holding Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, said to be the leader of the local Al-Qaeda umbrella group blamed for a wave of bloodshed across the nation.

Iraqi security forces released what they said was the first known picture of Baghda...

Iraq confirms Qaeda leader Baghdadi in custody

2010-04-16T13:15:39Z

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki confirmed on Tuesday that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, one of the top leaders of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, is being held by the Iraqi authorities.

"The criminal terrorist Abu Omar al-Baghdadi is in the hands of justice," Malik...

PM says Saddam loyalists infiltrated Iraq's Sahwa militia

2010-04-16T13:38:06Z

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told Iraqis on Friday that Al-Qaeda rebels and Saddam Hussein loyalists had infiltrated a pro-government militia that had helped to tame the country's deadly insurgency.

The premier used an hour-long interview on state-run television to say that rogue elements existed within the Sahwa,...

Iraq to expel Iran rebels as it takes over camp from US

2010-06-25T18:21:19Z

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Thursday that he would expel an Iranian armed opposition group from the country after taking over their base from US forces.

"Based on taking over everything and in accordance with our constitution and our policies of opening up to our neighbours... our forces are going to take full control of the camp where the Iraq vowed on Sunday to oust members of the main armed Iranian opposition group from its soil, just days before Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is due on a trip to Tehran.

The announcement was made during a visit by a government delegation to the camp in Iraq where about 3,500 members of the

Tribal power stokes fears in fractured Iraqi province

2010-04-16T13:54:12Z

In 2007 the main road through the Iraqi town of Al-Muqdadiyah was the frontier between Sunnis and Shiites locked in a bloody tit-for-tat of kidnappings, bombings, and the torching of mosques.

But that was before tribal sheikhs united to cast out Al-Qaeda, sewing the town's sectarian wounds shut and reclaiming their traditional role as the region's enforcers, now on behalf of a newly ...

Twin bombings at Iraq police academy kill 15

2010-04-16T14:03:32Z

At least 15 people were killed and dozens wounded when a suicide bomber and a car bomb exploded in quick succession outside Iraq's police academy in the heart of Baghdad on Monday, officials said.

Another three people were killed in a roadside bombing in the Iraqi capital targeting a senior defence ministry general working on the government's national reconciliation project who was wounded on the ...

Al Qaeda defeated in Baghdad

2010-10-25T09:24:23Z

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Iraq seeking faster Blackwater pullout

2010-09-10T04:22:03Z

Iraqi Prime Minister Reported Pressing U.S. for Even Quicker Withdrawal of Blackwater USA

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has pressed U.S. Embassy officials in recent meetings to pull the Blackwater USA security firm out of Iraq even before the six-month deadline he initially set, a top aide to...

Al-Maliki pledges reconciliation in Iraq

2010-09-09T23:51:20Z

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki Says Reconciliation Key to Ending Violence in the Country

Iraq's prime minister said national reconciliation was the key to ending the daily barrage of violence in his country, calling on world leaders to help bring bickering factions together but offering few political solutions of his own.

Nouri al-Maliki told the

Iraqi leader says flow of arms must stop

2010-09-09T23:43:03Z

Iraqi Prime Minister Says Terrorism Threatens to Erode His Country's Gains

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday that terrorism is threatening to erase any gains made in reducing sectarian killings and establishing democratic principles in his country.

He also wa...

14 U.S. soldiers killed in chopper crash

2010-09-09T16:03:53Z

Black Hawk Helicopter Crash Kills 14 U.S. Soldiers; Mechanical Problem Suspected

Fourteen U.S. soldiers were killed Wednesday when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime mission in northern Iraq, but the military said it appeared the aircraft was lost by mechanical proble...

Iraqi leaders announce new alliance of moderate Shiites and Kurds, but Sunnis refuse to join

2010-09-09T14:58:03Z

The Iraqi prime minister and president announced a new alliance of moderate Shiites and Kurds in a push to save the crumbing government Thursday, saying a key Sunni bloc refused to join but the door remained open to them.

The pact came amid a grim backdrop: more bodies being pulled from the rubble of the most deadly suicide bombing assault of the war. The Interior Ministry spokesman said the death toll in northern Iraq was at least 400 from T...

Iraqi political crisis grows

2010-09-09T13:00:59Z

Iraqi Political Crisis Grows As More Sunnis Boycott Cabinet; 19 Children Killed in Bombing

Iraq's political crisis worsened Monday as five more ministers announced a boycott of Cabinet meetings _ leaving the embattled prime minister's unity government with no members affiliated with Sunni political factions.

Meanwhile, a suicide bomber killed at least 28 people in a northern city, including 19 children, some playing ho...

Water taps run dry in Baghdad

2010-09-09T12:22:42Z

Water Taps Run Dry During the Peak of Baghdad Summer Heat; Suicide Attack Kills 13

Much of the Iraqi capital was without running water Thursday and had been for at least 24 hours, compounding the urban misery in a war zone and the blistering heat at the height of the Baghdad summer.

Residents and city officials said large sections in the west of the capital had been virtually dry for six days because the already ...

Iraq

2010-12-21T08:33:06Z

The new Iraqi government is seen during a swearing in ceremony in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved on Tuesday a new government to be headed by incumbent Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, bottom right, ending nine months of political deadlock that threatened to stall economic development and suck the cou...

Iraq Security

2010-12-21T08:03:13Z

Iraqi police officers are seen at a checkpoint in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. The Iraqi government tightened its security measures as Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a new government to be headed by incumbent Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. (AP Photo/Hadi M...

Iraq Politics

2010-12-11T08:05:28Z

TO GO WITH IRAK-POLITICA - FILE - In this March 26, 2010 file photo, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki speaks to the press in Baghdad, Iraq. Iraqi lawmakers are working furiously to end the country's eight-month political deadlock with reports that a deal may be near to return Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to office. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, File)...

Iraq Sadrists

2010-12-01T12:02:56Z

In this Nov. 22, 2010 photo, construction workers build a sewage system in Sadr City in Baghdad. After proving a kingmaker for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the fundamentalist Shiite and fiercely anti-U.S. Sadrist movement is looking to cash in its chips for a strong role in Iraq's next government. ...

Iraq Christians

2010-11-09T08:01:56Z

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, center, prays for the siege victims during a visit to Our Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010. The church recently was the scene of a horrific bloodbath that left scores dead and wounded. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)