18 Iraqis killed in police station explosions

Eighteen Iraqis have been killed following two separate attacks on police stations over the weekend.

In separate incidents, car bombs were detonated near police stations in Ba’qubah and Kahnbanisad on Saturday morning.

Seven Iraqi police officers and two civilians were killed and 20 people were wounded in the Ba’qubah explosion. In the other incident, six police officers and three civilians, including a four-year-old girl, were killed and 10 were wounded. Three police officers are still missing in Ba’qubah. No Coalition soldiers were injured.

Maj Gen Raymond Odierno, commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse, called the attack a “criminal act”.

“The people responsible for this Iraqi-on-Iraqi violence have no regard for innocent lives. The families of the police officers killed, along with tens of thousands of other police officers who have taken an oath to bring security and stability to Iraq can take solace in the fact that because of their sacrifice, Iraq will know peaceful freedom and enduring democracy,” he said.

Elsewhere, Baghdad International Airport was closed to all civilian traffic yesterday after a DHL cargo aircraft was hit by surface-to-air missiles.

Coalition officials said the airport will continue to receive military flights, but flights by civilian aircraft carrying military supplies and humanitarian goods cannot use the facility.

The civilian DHL aircraft reported an emergency south of Baghdad and made an emergency landing - the three-member crew was unharmed.

The plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile launched from an area south of the airport which caused extensive damage to the left wing of the aircraft.

Air Force personnel are investigating the incident.

(gmcg)