Sunday, December 25, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Two Task Force Baghdad soldiers were killed in bombings Sunday in the Iraqi capital, the U.S. military said.

One soldier died "when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device" during a patrol, and another died "from wounds sustained by an improvised explosive device," the military said in written statements.

The deaths bring the number of U.S. troops who have died in the Iraq war to 2,166.

Also Sunday, two car bombs exploded minutes apart in central Baghdad, wounding several Iraqi police officers, soldiers and civilians, according to Baghdad police.

The first bomb, which exploded just after 1 p.m., wounded three traffic police, Baghdad police said.

About 15 minutes later, a second car bomb went off near an Iraqi army patrol, wounding three soldiers and eight civilians, police said.

On a highway east of Baghdad, a roadside bomb damaged an American tank, The Associated Press reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries. AP Television News footage and photos showed an Abrams battle tank in flames.

On Saturday, twelve people -- including Iraqi police and soldiers, ministry employees, civilians and a U.S. soldier -- were killed in insurgent attacks in Iraq, police and military officials said.

The violence came as U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld served up meals and a pep talk to U.S. troops well to the north in Mosul.

"You and our country will prevail," Rumsfeld said.

Also Saturday, the U.S. military reported the deaths of seven insurgents.

Three bodies were found after police responded to a blast in the north-central town of Samarra. The men were trying to fire a mortar when the round apparently detonated prematurely, the military said, and a fourth person died from injuries while attempting to escape.

Later, three insurgents were killed near Duluiya during an attack on an American patrol, according to the military.

Iraq condemns abduction of Sudanese

Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday denounced the kidnapping in Baghdad of several Sudanese civilians, who were whisked away after Friday prayers.

The ministry "strongly condemns the kidnapping by a criminal terrorist group of a number of Sudanese civilians."

The statement said they include Abdel Moneam Mohammad Tom, the second secretary in Sudanese Embassy in Baghdad.

News reports say the number of those abducted is six.

It is the latest kidnapping in Iraq, which has endured a spate of abductions in recent weeks.

Earlier this week, the driver for Jordan's ambassador to Iraq was taken hostage. On Saturday, a group of militants released a video Saturday showing the hostage and issuing demands for his release. (Full story)

A Briton, an American and two Canadians who work for the Christian Peacemaker Team in Baghdad and an American industrial electrician, Ronald Schulz, were kidnapped weeks ago.

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