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| Iraq |
| 15 dead as Iraqi Sunni militias battle insurgents |
| 2008-10-22 |
| At least 15 men were killed and 14 wounded on Tuesday in fierce early morning clashes between insurgents and Sunni tribes in the central Iraqi province of Babil, police and a medic said. The ferocious firefight came just two days ahead of a planned transfer of security control in Babil from US to Iraqi troops. The battle erupted in Jurf al-Sakhr, a town on the border between mainly Shiite Babil and the neighboring mostly Sunni province of Anbar, at around 5 a.m. local time and raged for about two hours, said Police Lieutenant Haider al-Lami in the provincial capital of Hilla. The fighting pitted suspected insurgents against members of the Sunni Al-Osan and Al-Ojan tribes, who had formed anti-Al-Qaeda militias to oust the insurgents from their areas, Lami said. Physician Mohammed al-Shammari from the nearby town of Iskandiriyya confirmed the death toll. Jurf al-Sakhr witnessed frequent violence in the years following the US-led invasion of 2003 but a measure of stability was restored to the town after the formation of the anti-Al-Qaeda militia late last year. Before news broke of the early morning clashes, Babil Governor Salem al-Saleh Meslmawe had told AFP that US forces would hand over security control of the province to Iraqi forces on Thursday. "The decision represents the stability in the region," he said. Babil police chief Major General Fadhel Radad confirmed the transfer plans. "The security forces in the province are ready to take control and these days they are handling the security efficiently in collaboration with the citizens," Radad said. Babil, site of historic archaeological treasures, is the 12th of Iraq's 18 provinces to be handed over to Baghdad's control amid improving security. Baghdad, Diyala, Salaheddin, Nineveh, Kirkuk and Wasit remain under US control. A US military spokesman confirmed that preparations were being made to transfer Babil to Iraqi command but declined to give a date. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 my take is that if Islam allowed drinking the typical jihadi would (because of his obvious lack of self control)drink him self into oblivion and be too drunk to go fight. |
| Posted by: Abu do you love 2008-10-22 23:05 |
| #2 I'm thinking this may be the "Sons of Heaven" cult, again. Not sure it's about land as reported elsewhere. OTOH, just think how many fights there might be if Islam allowed drinking... |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2008-10-22 10:29 |
| #1 Same incident as Xinhua report but here the McCoys (or is it the Hatfields) are labeled insurgents instead of the fight being over some rural land. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-10-22 08:25 |