Sunday, October 08, 2006
U.S., Iraqi forces fight militants in Diwaniyah
Security
U.S. and Iraqi troops killed 30 militants early on Sunday in fierce fighting in the flashpoint southern Shi'ite city of Diwaniya, the U.S. military said. The clashes broke out after a joint U.S.-Iraqi unit raided the house of Kifah al-Greiti, a Mahdi Army commander, said Iraqi Army Capt. Fatiq Ayed. The military said an M1A2 Abrams tank was severely damaged in the battle that erupted after militants opened fire with rocket-propelled grenades on U.S. and Iraqi forces on a mission to detain a "high-value" target. Diwaniya's southern districts are a stronghold for the Mehdi Army militia of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose movement is a key player in the Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government of national unity.
A Mehdi Army official, who declined to be named, denied any involvement in the fighting and blamed rogue gunmen. He said Sadr had issued orders to the Mehdi Army "not to attack anybody, including the Americans". Another Mehdi Army official denied reports of the 30 killed and said only three people had been wounded. Hospital sources said four civilians were wounded, three men and a woman.
A Mehdi Army official, who declined to be named, denied any involvement in the fighting and blamed rogue gunmen. He said Sadr had issued orders to the Mehdi Army "not to attack anybody, including the Americans". Another Mehdi Army official denied reports of the 30 killed and said only three people had been wounded. Hospital sources said four civilians were wounded, three men and a woman.
By midday, Diwaniya, 180 km (115 miles) south of Baghdad, was reported to be quiet, but there was a heavy U.S. military presence. U.S. and Iraqi troops have launched numerous operations in recent weeks against the Mehdi Army in their hunt for sectarian death squads accused of carrying out indiscriminate killings. The U.S. military statement said the high-value target, whom it did not name, had been captured by Iraqi troops during the operation. It said the suspect was accused of involvement in the deaths of Iraqi soldiers on August 28, when 20 soldiers were killed in a battle with Shi'ite militiamen in the city.
COMMENT: It is possible that al-sadr is speaking the thruth as Mahdi Militiamen who still listen to the cleric may have held their fire. However, al-Sadr is losing control of the Mahdi miltia with splinter groups forming who are hiring themselves out as death squads and criminal gangs. This could be the opposition the U.S. and Iraqi forceshave been up against in Diwaniyah. al-Sadr is likely to have lost more credibility with members of the Mahdi Militia if he actually did issue the order not to fight. COMMENT ENDS.
