4 Iraqi Policemen Wounded In Baqubah

4 Iraqi Policemen Wounded in Baqubah; Attacks in Karbala kill one; Pipeline, employees attacked

In Falluja, a guerrilla threw a grenade on a passing U.S. military convoy on Friday. The Americans responded by opening fire. Three pedestrians were hurt, but it wasn’t clear if their wounds were caused by the grenade or the gunfire. Local eyewitnesses initially suggested US casualties in the attack, but later reporting has not said anything more about this. US military officials do not announce incidents in which soldiers are wounded but not killed in Iraq. There was also a fleeting mention in some Arabic sources on Friday night of a US soldier wounded in West Baghdad, but I cannot confirm this today (Saturday) midday, and so retract.

Early Friday, four Iraqi policemen were wounded when grenades were thrown at their station in Baqubah.

Guerrillas set off roadside bombs that blasted a bus, killing two employees of the Northern Oil Co. and wounding four others. There had also been sabotage of an oil pipeline in the north, with explosions setting off huge fires that the North Oil Co. only managed to put out early Saturday morning Iraq time.

In northern Iraq, firefighters battled the blaze along the pipeline north of Kirkuk for hours, finally extinguishing the blaze about 8:30 a.m. Saturday. The pipeline brings oil from Zab to Kirkuk.

Guerrillas mounted a grenade attack in the south, near the Shiite holy city of Karbala, early Saturday, killing one Iraqi policeman and wounding six others. Three men were arrested.

In general, the form of this item put up late Friday night was deeply flawed and I apologize to readers; I shouldn’t post when I’m that sleepy.