Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Security forces wounded after fierce fighting in Sunni districts in Baghdad
Security
(Al Jazeera) - A fierce battle in central Baghdad on Tuesday left four Iraqi soldiers dead, 16 US soldiers wounded and a US helicopter damaged by ground fire. A US military spokesman said on Wednesday that 20 fighters were killed and 30 more wounded in the previous day's clashes in the Iraqi capital. The violence in central Baghdad on Tuesday shut down the Sunni-dominated Fadhil and Sheikh Omar neighbourhoods just after 7am local time, the US military said.
After American and Iraqi troops came under fire during a routine search operation, helicopter gunships swooped in, engaging Sunni fighters with machine gun fire. Some TV stations reported an American helicopter was shot down in the fight, and showed video of a charred piece of mechanical wreckage that was impossible to identify.
The US issued a statement late on Tuesday saying an attack helicopter suffered damage from small arms fire but returned to base. A US spokesman said Wednesday that 12 of 15 wounded Americans had returned to duty, though the military initially said 16 soldiers were hurt. The Association of Muslim Scholars, a predominantly Sunni Arab group, issued a statement quoting witnesses as saying that the battle in central Baghdad began after Iraqi troops entered a mosque and executed two young men in front of other worshipers.
After American and Iraqi troops came under fire during a routine search operation, helicopter gunships swooped in, engaging Sunni fighters with machine gun fire. Some TV stations reported an American helicopter was shot down in the fight, and showed video of a charred piece of mechanical wreckage that was impossible to identify.
The US issued a statement late on Tuesday saying an attack helicopter suffered damage from small arms fire but returned to base. A US spokesman said Wednesday that 12 of 15 wounded Americans had returned to duty, though the military initially said 16 soldiers were hurt. The Association of Muslim Scholars, a predominantly Sunni Arab group, issued a statement quoting witnesses as saying that the battle in central Baghdad began after Iraqi troops entered a mosque and executed two young men in front of other worshipers.
Ground forces used tear gas on civilians, it said. "The association condemns this horrible crime carried out by occupiers and the government," the statement said. But the witness in Fadhil said the two men were executed in an outdoor vegetable market, not in the mosque. The Iraqi military was not immediately available to comment on the claim.
COMMENT: The Hayat Al-Ulama Al-Muslimin [Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS] is also known as the Ulema Council. The Muslim Ulema Council is the highest Sunni authority in Iraq. Shaykh Dr Harith Sulayman al-Dari is its secretary general. The Council comprises several religious institutions that existed before the occupation of Iraq in April last year. It has many activities on the political, social, economic, and religious levels.
The Ulema Council had called for calm among its followers in the face of provocations from some Shias. They also accuse neighbouring Shia-dominated Iran of trying to fuel growing religious tensions in the country by reaching out to Moqtada al-Sadr. Sunni clerics in the Muslim Ulema Council became increasingly vocal and teamed up with some influential Shias to oppose the occupation. They as of yet have not joined the newly formed government and remain as opposition group due to the fact that they believe joining the process whilst iraq is under occupation is unjust. COMMENT ENDS.
The Ulema Council had called for calm among its followers in the face of provocations from some Shias. They also accuse neighbouring Shia-dominated Iran of trying to fuel growing religious tensions in the country by reaching out to Moqtada al-Sadr. Sunni clerics in the Muslim Ulema Council became increasingly vocal and teamed up with some influential Shias to oppose the occupation. They as of yet have not joined the newly formed government and remain as opposition group due to the fact that they believe joining the process whilst iraq is under occupation is unjust. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Baghdad, Fadhil, Muslim Scholars Association, Sheikh Omar
