| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Iraqi security forces hunt Al-Qaeda fighters after deadly Diyala ambush |
| 2008-09-26 |
| Iraqi forces launched a major hunt for Al-Qaeda gunmen in the restive province of Diyala on Thursday after 35 people were killed in an ambush of a police convoy. Wednesday's attack, which saw the entire patrol wiped out, was one of the deadliest against police in recent months despite massive military crackdowns in the region, one of the most dangerous in Iraq. The US military also reported that an American soldier was killed in a suicide bombing in the province on Wednesday, but did not give further details. Soldiers backed by commandos are sweeping the area following the ambush, Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Abdel Karim Khalaf said. "We have a major operation under way in the area after Al-Qaeda ambushed the policemen. Army, police commandos and rapid-action groups have joined a search for the attackers," Khalaf told AFP. Khalaf, who is also acting police chief in Diyala, said the people ambushed were on an anti-Al-Qaeda reconnaissance patrol when gunmen struck in the village of Al-Dulaimat near the town of Khan Bani Saad, north of Baghdad. The attackers shot dead 12 policemen and eight pro-government Sunni militiamen, according to an initial toll given by a security official. Town Mayor Naif Abdullah said another 15 wounded policemen were declared dead on arrival at a hospital in Baghdad. Some of them were buried on Thursday, local residents said. Khalaf said the victims had traveled to an orchard to investigate reports that Al-Qaeda operatives were in the area. "We sent troops to check the report and not fight," he said. "They stepped out of their vehicles and walked about 300 meters when they were struck by gunfire." Security officials said the area around the village was a longstanding Al-Qaeda stronghold. Among those killed were allied fighters of the so-called "Awakening Council" group which is battling Al-Qaeda in the region. Diyala remains the most dangerous of Iraq's 18 provinces despite a US-backed offensive which the security forces launched against Al-Qaeda and other insurgents in May. BAGHDAD: Premier Nuri al-Maliki has promised to improve Iraq's armed forces to the level that they no longer need support from US-led troops, his office said on Thursday. Following a meeting with Interior Minister Jawad Bolani and other key security officials, Maliki said he was happy with the progress of building the new Iraqi armed forces, but more needed to be done. "We see that our forces have a high level of capability and this makes us feel proud and honored, but we want the performance to be complete so they won't need [external] support," his office quoted him as saying. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Isn't Palin's son due to be deployed in Diyala Province? Hope he is not being set up as a target. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2008-09-26 16:37 |