At least 13 people were reported dead on Sunday as Iraqi security forces clashed with rebels in volatile Sunni Muslim districts north of Baghdad and the so-called triangle of death, officials said. Four people were killed and nine wounded when Iraqi security forces clashed with armed Sunni villagers south of Baghdad, medics said.
The battle erupted after Iraqi soldiers and police raided the village of Albu Mustafa, in the heart of the "triangle of death" south of Baghdad.
Two soldiers, a police officer and a gunman were killed, police and medics said. Four soldiers and five gunmen were wounded.
To the north, four Iraqis and two insurgents were killed in shootings and a bomb blast, while the body of businessman was discovered and 19 suspects were arrested, security sources and the US military said.
West of Kirkuk, two gunmen were killed as they attempted to attack an Iraqi police-army patrol in the town of Zab.
A soldier and a civilian died when Iraqi troops and rebels clashed in Samarra, raided by US-led troops last October in a bid to rid it of insurgents ahead of the January 30 elections, said Captain Assad Amjad.
Near Balad, a civilian was killed and four soldiers wounded when a homemade bomb exploded as a military convoy went past, said police.
The spiritual leader of Iraqi Shias who are set to dominate the new government on Sunday demanded a major say for Islam in lawmaking as the abduction of four Egyptians heightened fears for foreigners.
The UN envoy to Iraq on Sunday hailed Iraq's elections as "unexpectedly successful" but stopped short of endorsing a poll shunned by many in the Sunni Arab minority and in which votes are still being counted. A week after millions of Iraqis braved insurgent threats to cast their ballots, special envoy Ashraf Qazi also said there are signs that all parties will participate in creating a new constitution even if they were not in the government.
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