Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 23 People

West of Baghdad on Thursday, a suicide bomber attacked a meeting of pro-government Sunni sheiks, killing at least 23 people, including three U.S. Marines. At least 18 more people died in a car bombing in the northern city of Mosul. al-Qaida has been particularly active in these Sunni Arab areas. They seem to wish to undermine U.S. efforts to shore up local administrations and secure the security gains achieved since early last year. The bomber was able to penetrate security because he was wearing a camouflage uniform of the police commandos.

Blast Kills in Baghdad

Three children and 3 soldiers were killed in a blast in Baghdad. The military says overall violence is down 55% since troop buildup began, however, A suicide bomber detonated his explosives as American soldiers were handing out toys to children northeast of Baghdad on Sunday. Seven children were wounded in the attack.

Car Bomber in Somalia

There was a roadblock at the home of Somali prime minister on sunday. However, a suicide car bomber drove through it and rammed the vehicle into a wall. They were able get the prime minister to safety but at least five people were killed in the explosion. This was the third assination attempt since he returned to somalia in May 2005. A top government official blamed the assasination attempt on "terrorists linked to al-Qaida."