Updated at 12:27 a.m. EST, Dec. 2, 2007

At least 40 Iraqis were killed and 46 more wounded during the latest violence. One U.S. soldier was also killed. Meanwhile, Sunni lawmakers walked out of parliament to protest the house arrest of their leader, while the Interior Ministry reported that 20,000 employees were dismissed. Also, Turkey claimed to have inflicted numerous casualties on Kurdish rebels.

One U.S. soldier was killed during an IED attack in eastern Baghdad. Three more soldiers were wounded as well.

Turkey claimed to have inflicted "significant losses" on a group of Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. It is unclear whether they have entered the country, but other reports place at least a small group of Turkish troops inside Iraq’s borders; however, Kurdistan officials denied those reports.

Scores of gunmen staged a dawn raid on the village of Dwelah near Muqdadiya. At least 13 people were killed and 14 more were wounded. Three gunmen were also killed and another 35 villagers were kidnapped.

In Baghdad, a bomb wounded three police commandos in the Shabb district. In New Baghdad, a bomb left in a taxi wounded the driver and a passenger. Four people were wounded during a roadside bombing in Hurriya. Another four were wounded during a bombing on a minibus in al-Jadiyah. In Moasker al-Rashad a car bomb killed one person and wounded four others. No casualties were reported during a bombing in Mansour. Also, five dumped bodies were found.

Also, in the capital, Sunni politicians protested the detention of their leader following the discovery of a car bomb near his office. A guard working for Adnan al-Dulaimi was found in possession of the keys to the vehicle. Dozens of associates and al-Dulaimi’s son were detained as well.

A suicide bomber killed one person and wounded six others at a Madaen checkpoint.

In Mosul, a policeman was gunned down in the al-Dargazhliyah neighborhood. Three bodies were also discovered.

Gunmen killed three Awakening council members and kidnapped five more near Iskandariya.

Near Najaf, a roadside bomb prematurely detonated, killing one man and wounded a second one. A third suspect fled the area.

Gunmen abducted the dean of a technical university in Amara.

Officials in Basra denied the upcoming imposition of a curfew or new security plan.

In Ramadi, police arrested a man wearing an explosive belt.

An attack on the Khalis police chief as he was traveling through Ghalbiya instead left four tribal sheikhs wounded.

An unidentified body was discovered on a road near Tikrit.

In al-Makhisah, Iraqi troops supported by U.S. forces killed eight suspects and wounded four others. Iraqi police detained 15 suspects south of Ramadi, while in Baghdad U.S. troops captured two men believed to procure weapons for Shi’ite militiamen aligned with Iran.

Also, the Interior Ministry dismissed 20,000 employees for corruption, inefficiency and other charges including "political allegiance." The dreaded "police commandos" are part of the Interior Ministry. They have often been accused of harboring "Shi’ite death squads" and exacerbating the violence in the country.

Compiled by Margaret Griffis