(AKI) - Some 790 victims - among them US soldiers, Iraqi policemen and members of the Shiite militias - have been killed by al-Qaeda in Iraq and its allies since June, the groups boast in a bloody balance sheet posted to the Internet on Monday. The Council of the Mujahadeen, which groups some eight Sunni insurgent groups, including al-Qaeda in Iraq, offers a precise breakdown of casualties inflicted, from 8 June, the day that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed, to 23 September in what they refer to as "Operation Blood Vengeance for Abu Musab."That 'mission' concluded last week with the message from Abu Ayyub al-Masri, al-Zarqawi's successor. Al-Masri announced the launch of a new 'campaign' for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan entitled "Operation Outright Victory". The figures are invariably exaggerated for propaganda purposes, analysts believe, but give an idea of the commitment of the Iraqi insurgency groups on the ground.
They claim to have killed 390 'crusader' soldiers (from US and other foreign contingents) 270 'apostates' (Iraqi policemen and soldiers) and 130 Shiite militiamen from the Al-Mahdi Army as well as 23 from the Badr brigades. Most of these victims were caused by 35 suicide bombers in action during this period, while 95 were reportedly struck by snipers. Al-Qaeda also claims to have destroyed during this period 152 armoured vehicles, seven tanks, 12 trucks and eight cars used by the multinational contingent.