Iraq Watch: September 12, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Violence persisted throughout the war-torn nation of Iraq on Monday as Operation Restoring Rights continued in the northern city of Tal Afar.

In eastern Baghdad, the bodies of 10 unidentified men were discovered, police said. All the men had their hands bound and had been shot in the head. Two more unidentified bodies were found in the Tigris river near Balad, 40 miles north of the capital.

At least six Iraqi soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the former insurgent bastion of Fallujah, west of Baghdad.

Despite an ongoing military operation and a newly announced $100,000 bounty on his head Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari visited the predominantly Turkmen town of Tal Afar on Monday according to Al-Iraqiya television.

Also in Tal Afar, Iraqi army officials reported killing 40 insurgents and capturing another 27 in a Monday afternoon raid on a suspected terrorist safe house. The raid was conducted after a roadside bombing targeting Iraqi soldiers killed one and injured three others earlier in the day.

Late Monday, a massive car bomb exploded near a popular restaurant in the Mansour district of Baghdad killing at least two people and injuring 17 more according to the AP.

Elsewhere, two Kurdish security guards were killed and three more wounded when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in the northern city of Mosul. Also to the north, a senior Iraqi judge was assassinated along with his brother in Is'haqi according to the Reuters news agency.

In the oil-rich city of Kirkik, located 180 miles north of Baghdad, two Iraqi police were shot to death when insurgents attacked their police car.

Also, in the capital city of Baghdad, at least six Iraqi civilians were killed when gunmen attacked a real estate agent's office in the western Shu'la district.