50 dead in attacks targeting Iraqi security forces

BAGHDAD – Bombers and gunmen launched an apparently coordinated string of attacks against Iraqi government forces on Wednesday, killing at least 50 people a day after the number of US troops fell below 50,000 for the first time since the start of the war.

Insurgents have been stepping up their attacks on Iraq's security forces in recent months as the US has trimmed its military presence in the country. More than half of those killed Wednesday — 27 — were Iraqi soldiers and policemen.

There were no claims of responsibility for the spate of attacks. But their scale and reach, from one end of the country to the other, underscored insurgent efforts to prove their might against security forces and political leaders who are charged with the day-to-day running and stability of Iraq.