I expect bombs 'n' violence in Mosul, Basra, eastern Baghdad and Diyala province, but in Ramadi and Fallujah? Officialdom has been saying that was so 2004-2006. Also, I see that a Marine was killed in combat ops somewhere in Anbar on Sunday.

Here's the wrapup from the weekend report by Aswat al-Iraq, one of my new bookmarks:

ANBAR - Two civilians on Saturday were killed and four others were injured when an explosive device detonated in Anbar's Falluja city, according to a police source.

NINEWA - Two Iraqi soldiers on Saturday were injured in an explosive charge blast that targeted their vehicle in western Mosul city, according to a security source.

ANBAR - An improvised explosive device (IED) on Saturday killed a Sahwa council leader, along with his driver, and wounded three others, including a chieftain in Anbar province.

NINEWA - A curfew on vehicles has been put in place in eastern and southeastern Mosul city, as part of tight security measures in Ninewa province, according to a local security source.

ANBAR - Three civilians on Saturday were injured when an explosive device detonated inside a garage in northern Ramadi city, the third blast to hit Anbar province today.

BASRA - Police forces have arrested 12 suspects on criminal and terror-related charges during search raids in Basra province, a local police source said on Saturday.

And from today:

ANBAR - Two policemen were killed and four others wounded when a car bomb blast targeted their patrol in central al-Ramadi city on Monday, a local police spokesman said.

Can anyone tell me if this is an aberration, or if things are again getting frisky in al Anbar?

MUJAHED MOHAMMED/AFP/Getty Images

 

JWING

3:03 PM ET

July 20, 2009

Anbar - doesn't seem much different

There have been a few reports in recent months about an uptick in violence in Anbar but it doesn't seem much different from before. The main attacks are on Awakening members and then police.

 

JWING

2:43 PM ET

July 24, 2009

I did a rundown on press

I did a rundown on press reports on violence in Iraq and found that there was a slight dip in attacks in May, but that's about it otherwise attacks that lead to casualties have been pretty constant.

July 1-24 09
Attacks/Incidents: 14
Deaths: 25
Wounded: 84

June 09
Attacks/Incidents: 24
Deaths: 29
Wounded: 53+

May 09
Attacks/Incidents: 9
Deaths: 12
Wounded: 11

April 09
Attacks/Incidents: 11
Deaths: 31
Wounded: 64

 

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military for the Washington Post from 2000 through 2008.

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