Thursday, November 30, 2006
Baquba out of control of security forces
Security
Fierce clashes are taking place in the city of Baquba, the capital of Diyala Province. U.S. troops are reported to have deployed helicopter gunships and tanks to help contain attacks by rebels. Life has come to a standstill in the restive city, northeast of Baghdad, and most parts of the province. Both U.S. and Iraqi troops are said to have failed in attempts to restore order. Conditions are reported to have worsened following the withdrawal of Iraqi police forces present in the city.
One provincial source told the newspaper that U.S. invasion troops were “vetting” the police due to massive infiltration by sectarian factions. The source said “hundreds” of police officers deployed in the province have resigned when rebels intensified attacks on their stations, patrols and check points. “There are now no police officers in Baquba. Iraqi army and U.S. troops are trying to replace them,” the source said. The rebels have barricaded themselves at the main entrances, ambushing advancing U.S. troops. An ambush inside the city’s old quarter led to the wounding of two U.S. marines, one of them seriously, residents said. Two Iraqis were killed in the ambush, they added. A statement released by the U.S. military on Thursday said that Iraqi soldiers found 28 bodies in a mass grave south of Baquba.
One provincial source told the newspaper that U.S. invasion troops were “vetting” the police due to massive infiltration by sectarian factions. The source said “hundreds” of police officers deployed in the province have resigned when rebels intensified attacks on their stations, patrols and check points. “There are now no police officers in Baquba. Iraqi army and U.S. troops are trying to replace them,” the source said. The rebels have barricaded themselves at the main entrances, ambushing advancing U.S. troops. An ambush inside the city’s old quarter led to the wounding of two U.S. marines, one of them seriously, residents said. Two Iraqis were killed in the ambush, they added. A statement released by the U.S. military on Thursday said that Iraqi soldiers found 28 bodies in a mass grave south of Baquba.
