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| Iraq |
| Iraq Top General Says Survived Blast that Killed Nine |
| 2013-08-04 |
| [AnNahar] A top Iraqi army officer said he survived a bombing on Saturday that killed nine soldiers during an operation against al-Qaeda Death Eaters in Diyala province north of Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... "I was targeted directly," Staff Lieutenant General Abdulamir al-Zaidi told Agence La Belle France Presse by telephone. The blast, which struck some 50 meters (yards) along the road from where Zaidi was walking, also maimed 11 soldiers, he said. "This area is a stronghold for al-Qaeda," Zaidi said of where the attack took place, 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the city of Baquba. The general said on July 28 that security forces had launched a major operation in Diyala, Salaheddin and Kirkuk provinces aimed at tracking down those behind bombings and liquidations during the Mohammedan holy month of Ramadan. All three provinces have been hit by frequent attacks in recent weeks, including Baquba and surrounding areas. Iraq is witnessing its deadliest violence since 2008, when it was emerging from a prolonged and bloody sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shiite Mohammedans. Experts point to widespread discontent among Iraq's Sunni Arab minority, which the Shiite-led government has failed to address, as the major cause of the spike in unrest this year. |
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