Updated at 3:05 a.m. EST, Feb. 20, 2008

The Interior Ministry began rounding up homeless and mentally challenged people in Baghdad to prevent their exploitation by armed groups. Meanwhile, a large explosion in Baghdad killed over a dozen policemen who were trying to defuse several rockets. At least 40 Iraqis were killed and 67 more were wounded in recent violence. Also, three American soldiers were killed during an IED attack late today in Baghdad.

In Baghdad, 15 policemen were killed and 45 more were wounded as they were trying to defuse rockets that they had discovered shortly after twin rocket attacks. Rockets had been fired at U.S. and Iraqi bases in Ubaidi. Four American soldiers were wounded during one of the attacks. Three dumped bodies were also recovered.

One woman was killed and two other were wounded during a bombing in Waziriya. A cab driver and four passengers were killed, and a policeman was wounded, when a bomb left in the cab exploded in the Mansour district. In Zafaraniyah, an IED wounded a civilian; police defused a second bomb. A stockpile of ammunition was discovered. Gunmen killed a man on a minibus in Sinak. A civilian was injured during a mortar attack in Abu Dsher. In Zayouna the deputy minister of science was wounded along with two guards during a roadside bombing. Also, the Interior Ministry is removing easily exploitable people off the streets, so gunmen will not be able to use them to carry out suicide attacks; it is believed that some recent bombings were carried out by unwilling victims.

A U.S. helicopter strike left three dead civilians in al-Dujail.

A suicide bomber killed one soldier and wounded two policemen in Mosul, when he drove into a building they were using as a base; another Iraqi soldier was also wounded. The body of a woman was found dumped in a cemetery, and a man was gunned down in Qahira. Also, U.S. forces took a seriously wounded man to the hospital, but the source of his injures was not revealed.

In Muradiya, four family members were killed during an attack.

Three people were killed and three others were wounded during an armed attack in Baquba.

In Tikrit, a roadside bomb injured four Iraqi soldiers.

Three Iraqi soldiers were wounded near Baiji during an armed attack.

An al-Qaeda leader was killed along with three foreign fighters in Samarra.

The Iraqi army arrested 11 followers of different cult groups in Hilla.

The British base in Basra came under Katyusha rocket attack, but no casualties were reported.

Six suspects were arrested in Kirkuk.

Gunmen killed a police lieutenant in Khan Bani Saad.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis