10 US soldiers Wounded, 6 other Coalition Troops Killed, 36 wounded;
Governor of Karbala Hospitalized with 80 other wounded Civilians

Guerillas launched four massive car bombings on Saturday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala. Although Western news reports said that Karbala has been relatively quiet, in fact Coalition troops had on numerous occasionas come under fire there, as reported in the Arabic press, but had suffered few casualties until now. The guerrillas killed 4 Bulgarians and two Thai troops. Another 19 Bulgarian troops were wounded, 4 seriously. Altogether, some 36 other Coalition troops were wounded in the attacks, including 5 Americans. Another 12 Iraqis were killed, many of them police, and over 80 (some reports gave over 120) wounded. The wounded included the US-appointed governor of Karbala province, Akram al-Yasiri, and five members of the provincial council. (-al-Hayat) The attacks were likely launched by Sunni Arab nationalists from outside the Shiite city. That they could coordinate such a powerful set of attacks in a southern city suggests that they are still stronger and more organized than the US realized.

In Baghdad on Saturday, 5 US troops were wounded in the Rasafa quarter when guerrillas blew up roadside bombs as their convoys passed. In Mosul, US troops came under fire and fought back, destroying a car and killing its 4 passengers. The US said the passengers had been among the attackers. Near Kirkuk two Iraqi guerrillas accidentally blew themselves up while preparing a roadside bomb for use at the oil town of Beiji.

On Friday, two US troops died in bombings, one in Baquba and the other in Balad just north of Baghdad.