Friday, August 17, 2007
Indefinate curfew in Diwaniyah as new governor is chosen
Security, Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Local authorities in Diwaniya city imposed an indefinite curfew on the Shiite city from Thursday evening as the provincial council is expected to select a new governor for the province on Friday. "It is decided that a curfew be imposed on Diwaniya city as of Thursday 7:00 pm till further notice in preparations for the selection of a new governor for the province on Friday," acting governor Dhia Shubbar said in a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Diwaniya Provincial Council accepted nominations for the post of the governor after the former governor Khalil Jalil Hamza was killed in a blast on Saturday. A source from the Provincial Council told VOI "seven persons were nominated for the post and the 41-member-council is expected to name the new governor by voting on Friday." SICI member, Sheikh Hussain Al Badari, the chief of the council’s security committee; Dawa Party member, Laith Ali Motar; Diwaniya Governorate Council member and SICI member, Sheikh Ghanim Abid Dahish; and Accord Front member, Muslim Al Ghazi are among the nominees for the governor position.
Diwaniya is 180 km south of Baghdad.
Diwaniya Provincial Council accepted nominations for the post of the governor after the former governor Khalil Jalil Hamza was killed in a blast on Saturday. A source from the Provincial Council told VOI "seven persons were nominated for the post and the 41-member-council is expected to name the new governor by voting on Friday." SICI member, Sheikh Hussain Al Badari, the chief of the council’s security committee; Dawa Party member, Laith Ali Motar; Diwaniya Governorate Council member and SICI member, Sheikh Ghanim Abid Dahish; and Accord Front member, Muslim Al Ghazi are among the nominees for the governor position.
Diwaniya is 180 km south of Baghdad.
Labels: curfew, Dhia Shubbar, Diwaniya, Khalil Jalil Hamzah
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Farmers in southern Iraq start to grow opium poppies
Security, Agriculture
(The Independent) - Farmers in southern Iraq have started to grow opium poppies in their fields for the first time, sparking fears that Iraq might become a serious drugs producer along the lines of Afghanistan. Rice farmers along the Euphrates, to the west of the city of Diwaniya, south of Baghdad, have stopped cultivating rice, for which the area is famous, and are instead planting poppies, Iraqi sources familiar with the area have told The Independent.
The shift to opium cultivation is still in its early stages but there is little the Iraqi government can do about it because rival Shia militias and their surrogates in the security forces control Diwaniya and its neighbourhood. There have been bloody clashes between militiamen, police, Iraqi army and US forces in the city over the past two months.
The shift to opium production is taking place in the well-irrigated land west and south of Diwaniya around the towns of Ash Shamiyah, al Ghammas and Ash Shinafiyah. The farmers are said to be having problems in growing the poppies because of the intense heat and high humidity. It is too dangerous for foreign journalists to visit Diwaniya but the start of opium poppy cultivation is attested by two students from there and a source in Basra familiar with the Iraqi drugs trade.
Drug smugglers have for long used Iraq as a transit point for heroin, produced from opium in laboratories in Afghanistan, being sent through Iran to rich markets in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Saddam Hussein's security apparatus in Basra was reportedly heavily involved in the illicit trade. Opium poppies have hitherto not been grown in Iraq and the fact that they are being planted is a measure of the violence in southern Iraq. It is unlikely that the farmers' decision was spontaneous and the gangs financing them are said to be "well-equipped with good vehicles and weapons and are well-organised".
There is no inherent reason why the opium poppy should not be grown in the hot and well-watered land in southern Iraq. It was cultivated in the area as early as 3,400BC and was known to the ancient Sumerians as Hul Gil, the "joy plant". Some of the earliest written references to the opium poppy come from clay tablets found in the ruins of the city of Nippur, just to the east of Diwaniya.
There has been an upsurge in violence not only in Diwaniya but in Basra, Nassariyah, Kut and other Shia cities of southern Iraq over the past 10 days. It receives limited attention outside Iraq because it has nothing to do with the fighting between the Sunni insurgents and US forces further north or the civil war between Shia and Sunni in Baghdad and central Iraq. The violence is also taking place in provinces that are too dangerous for journalists to visit. Aside from Basra, few foreign soldiers are killed.
The fighting is between rival Shia parties and militias, notably the Mehdi Army, who support the anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and the Badr Organisation - the military wing of the recently renamed Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC). In many, though not all, areas of southern Iraq, the latter group controls the police.
The intra-militia violence in southern Iraq is essentially over control of profitable resources and the establishment of power bases. According to one report the violence in Diwaniya has been escalating for two months and was initially motivated by rivalry over control of opium production but soon widened into a general turf war.
The grip of the British Army around Basra and other southern provinces was always tenuous and is now coming to an end. Although the government in Baghdad speaks of gradually taking control of security in the provinces from US and Britain, the winners in the new Iraq are the militia, often criminalised, that have colonised the Iraqi security forces. Diwaniya is in Qaddasiyah province, which was never under British control but the pattern in all parts of Shia Iraq is very similar.
The one factor currently militating against criminal gangs organising poppy cultivation in Iraq on a wide scale is that they are already making large profits from smuggling drugs from Iran. This is easy to do because of Iraq's enormous and largely unguarded land borders with neighbouring states. Iraqis themselves are not significant consumers of heroin or other drugs.
But it is evident from the start of opium production around Diwaniya that some gangs think there is money to be made by following the example of Afghanistan. Given that they can guarantee much higher profits from growing opium poppies than can be made from rice, many impoverished Iraqi farmers are likely to cultivate the new crop.
The shift to opium cultivation is still in its early stages but there is little the Iraqi government can do about it because rival Shia militias and their surrogates in the security forces control Diwaniya and its neighbourhood. There have been bloody clashes between militiamen, police, Iraqi army and US forces in the city over the past two months.
The shift to opium production is taking place in the well-irrigated land west and south of Diwaniya around the towns of Ash Shamiyah, al Ghammas and Ash Shinafiyah. The farmers are said to be having problems in growing the poppies because of the intense heat and high humidity. It is too dangerous for foreign journalists to visit Diwaniya but the start of opium poppy cultivation is attested by two students from there and a source in Basra familiar with the Iraqi drugs trade.
Drug smugglers have for long used Iraq as a transit point for heroin, produced from opium in laboratories in Afghanistan, being sent through Iran to rich markets in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Saddam Hussein's security apparatus in Basra was reportedly heavily involved in the illicit trade. Opium poppies have hitherto not been grown in Iraq and the fact that they are being planted is a measure of the violence in southern Iraq. It is unlikely that the farmers' decision was spontaneous and the gangs financing them are said to be "well-equipped with good vehicles and weapons and are well-organised".
There is no inherent reason why the opium poppy should not be grown in the hot and well-watered land in southern Iraq. It was cultivated in the area as early as 3,400BC and was known to the ancient Sumerians as Hul Gil, the "joy plant". Some of the earliest written references to the opium poppy come from clay tablets found in the ruins of the city of Nippur, just to the east of Diwaniya.
There has been an upsurge in violence not only in Diwaniya but in Basra, Nassariyah, Kut and other Shia cities of southern Iraq over the past 10 days. It receives limited attention outside Iraq because it has nothing to do with the fighting between the Sunni insurgents and US forces further north or the civil war between Shia and Sunni in Baghdad and central Iraq. The violence is also taking place in provinces that are too dangerous for journalists to visit. Aside from Basra, few foreign soldiers are killed.
The fighting is between rival Shia parties and militias, notably the Mehdi Army, who support the anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and the Badr Organisation - the military wing of the recently renamed Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC). In many, though not all, areas of southern Iraq, the latter group controls the police.
The intra-militia violence in southern Iraq is essentially over control of profitable resources and the establishment of power bases. According to one report the violence in Diwaniya has been escalating for two months and was initially motivated by rivalry over control of opium production but soon widened into a general turf war.
The grip of the British Army around Basra and other southern provinces was always tenuous and is now coming to an end. Although the government in Baghdad speaks of gradually taking control of security in the provinces from US and Britain, the winners in the new Iraq are the militia, often criminalised, that have colonised the Iraqi security forces. Diwaniya is in Qaddasiyah province, which was never under British control but the pattern in all parts of Shia Iraq is very similar.
The one factor currently militating against criminal gangs organising poppy cultivation in Iraq on a wide scale is that they are already making large profits from smuggling drugs from Iran. This is easy to do because of Iraq's enormous and largely unguarded land borders with neighbouring states. Iraqis themselves are not significant consumers of heroin or other drugs.
But it is evident from the start of opium production around Diwaniya that some gangs think there is money to be made by following the example of Afghanistan. Given that they can guarantee much higher profits from growing opium poppies than can be made from rice, many impoverished Iraqi farmers are likely to cultivate the new crop.
Labels: Diwaniya, militias, opium poppies, rice farmers
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - Roundup of violence in Iraq - Wednesday 16 May 2007
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1100 GMT on Thursday:
* Indicates a new or updated entry
* DIWANIYA - At least three civilians were killed, including a woman, and four others wounded in clashes between militiamen and security forces in the Shi'ite city of Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two civilians were killed and five wounded by a roadside bomb in the Diyala bridge area in southeastern Baghdad, police said.
* ISKANDARIYA - A roadside bomb killed one civilian and wounded three others in Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
HILLA - A policeman was killed and three of his family were wounded when a militant hurled a hand grenade at his home in Hilla, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* BASRA - Gunmen killed a police major along with his son in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra, police said.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a civil servant in a drive-by shooting in Diwaniya, police said. It was not clear why he was targeted.
* LATIFIYA - Police found two bodies bearing signs of torture and bullet wounds in the small town of Latifiya 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* KIRKUK - Police found a bullet-riddled body in the ethnically mixed northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army killed six insurgents in different parts of Iraq over the last 24 hours, the Iraqi army said in a statement.
* Indicates a new or updated entry
* DIWANIYA - At least three civilians were killed, including a woman, and four others wounded in clashes between militiamen and security forces in the Shi'ite city of Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two civilians were killed and five wounded by a roadside bomb in the Diyala bridge area in southeastern Baghdad, police said.
* ISKANDARIYA - A roadside bomb killed one civilian and wounded three others in Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
HILLA - A policeman was killed and three of his family were wounded when a militant hurled a hand grenade at his home in Hilla, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* BASRA - Gunmen killed a police major along with his son in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra, police said.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a civil servant in a drive-by shooting in Diwaniya, police said. It was not clear why he was targeted.
* LATIFIYA - Police found two bodies bearing signs of torture and bullet wounds in the small town of Latifiya 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* KIRKUK - Police found a bullet-riddled body in the ethnically mixed northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army killed six insurgents in different parts of Iraq over the last 24 hours, the Iraqi army said in a statement.
Labels: Basra, Diwaniya, grenade, gunmen, Hilla, Iraqi Army, Iskandariyah, Kirkuk, Latifiyah, militias, roadside bombs
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - Roundup of violence in Iraq - 15 May 2007
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondent Mohammed Al Dulaimy in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondent Mohammed Al Dulaimy in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1130 GMT on Wednesday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* ABU SAYDA - A truck bomb laden with chlorine gas exploded in a market area in the mostly Shi'ite town of Abu Sayda, north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 45 people and wounding 60, police said on Wednesday.
* NASIRIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces killed eight people and wounded 40 in the southern city of Nasiriya, 375 km (235 miles) southeast of Baghdad, hospital and police sources said.
* AL-SHATRA - At least four people were killed and 20 others were wounded after clashes erupted between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and police in the town of al-Shatra, near Nasiriya, a source in the hospital said.
* DIWANIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces wounded eight civilians, a policeman and an Iraqi soldier, hospital and Iraqi military sources said. A curfew was imposed until further notice.
* FALLUJA - Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three wounded when gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
* BAQUBA - Gunmen attacked police Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, the head of the Iraqi-U.S. Joint Coordination Centre of Diyala Province, killing two of his guards and wounding another, police said. Hiyali was not harmed in the attack.
* KIRKUK - The head of the Riyadh city council was killed along with another member in the council when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in the town of Riyadh, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* LATIFIYA - Gunmen opened fire at a car, killing one person and wounding four others in the town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 15 people were found in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Four people were killed and four others were wounded by a mortar attack in Ur district in northern Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
MAHMUDIYA - A roadside bomb exploded near a minibus, killing one person and wounding another on Tuesday in the town of Mahmudiya, some 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* ABU SAYDA - A truck bomb laden with chlorine gas exploded in a market area in the mostly Shi'ite town of Abu Sayda, north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 45 people and wounding 60, police said on Wednesday.
* NASIRIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces killed eight people and wounded 40 in the southern city of Nasiriya, 375 km (235 miles) southeast of Baghdad, hospital and police sources said.
* AL-SHATRA - At least four people were killed and 20 others were wounded after clashes erupted between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and police in the town of al-Shatra, near Nasiriya, a source in the hospital said.
* DIWANIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces wounded eight civilians, a policeman and an Iraqi soldier, hospital and Iraqi military sources said. A curfew was imposed until further notice.
* FALLUJA - Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three wounded when gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
* BAQUBA - Gunmen attacked police Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, the head of the Iraqi-U.S. Joint Coordination Centre of Diyala Province, killing two of his guards and wounding another, police said. Hiyali was not harmed in the attack.
* KIRKUK - The head of the Riyadh city council was killed along with another member in the council when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in the town of Riyadh, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* LATIFIYA - Gunmen opened fire at a car, killing one person and wounding four others in the town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 15 people were found in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Four people were killed and four others were wounded by a mortar attack in Ur district in northern Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
MAHMUDIYA - A roadside bomb exploded near a minibus, killing one person and wounding another on Tuesday in the town of Mahmudiya, some 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
Labels: Abu Saydah, Al-Shatra, Baqouba, Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, chlorine bombs, Diwaniya, Fallujah, Kirkuk, Latifiyah, Mahdi Army, Nasiriyah, roadside bombs
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
Baghdad
- Around 8 am , a suicide truck (Hino) driver led his car near a petrol station at Al-Meda'en, but the police commandos of the checkpoint in the neighborhood exploded the truck with the suicide driver inside who was killed at the explosion . No casualties recorded.
- Around 9 am, a roadside bomb exploded at Amiriya neighborhood without casualties.
- Around 11 am, a roadside bomb exploded when an American patrol passed by at the commercial street in Saidiya neighborhood without any casualties.
- Around 12 pm, a roadside bomb exploded at Baladiyat neighborhood when an American patrol passed in the area without casualties recorded. Salahuddin
- Early morning, gunmen bombed Asad's brother's house , the chairman of Samara municipality , after forcing the whole family to evacuate the house which is in Hay Al-Sikak south Samara (North of Baghdad). Basrah
- At dawn, a roadside bomb exploded when a British vehicle passed through Timimiya neighborhood(near Ashar) in the downtown of Basra ( south of Iraq) having some damage to the vehicle with no casualties recorded.
- Around this day, a British patrol had found a trench filled with ammunitions north of Zubair (35 km west of Basra) including 20 mortar bombs ,30 cannon bombs and two grenades .
Baghdad
- Around 8 am , a suicide truck (Hino) driver led his car near a petrol station at Al-Meda'en, but the police commandos of the checkpoint in the neighborhood exploded the truck with the suicide driver inside who was killed at the explosion . No casualties recorded.
- Around 9 am, a roadside bomb exploded at Amiriya neighborhood without casualties.
- Around 11 am, a roadside bomb exploded when an American patrol passed by at the commercial street in Saidiya neighborhood without any casualties.
- Around 12 pm, a roadside bomb exploded at Baladiyat neighborhood when an American patrol passed in the area without casualties recorded. Salahuddin
- Early morning, gunmen bombed Asad's brother's house , the chairman of Samara municipality , after forcing the whole family to evacuate the house which is in Hay Al-Sikak south Samara (North of Baghdad). Basrah
- At dawn, a roadside bomb exploded when a British vehicle passed through Timimiya neighborhood(near Ashar) in the downtown of Basra ( south of Iraq) having some damage to the vehicle with no casualties recorded.
- Around this day, a British patrol had found a trench filled with ammunitions north of Zubair (35 km west of Basra) including 20 mortar bombs ,30 cannon bombs and two grenades .
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1245 GMT on Saturday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* NEAR MAHMUDIYA - Insurgents attacked a team of seven U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi army interpreter south of Baghdad, killing five soldiers while three others were missing, the U.S. military said in a statement.
* NEAR LATIFIYA - Three bodies were found shot dead near the small town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained three suspects and destroyed a car bomb during a raid in the Shi'ite stronghold of Sadr City aimed at breaking a network suspected of procuring sophisticated explosives from Iran, the U.S. military said. It said the three were believed to have ties to a secret network that smuggles so-called EFPs and sends Iraqi militants for training to Iran.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a policeman in front of his home in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya, police said.
* FALLUJA - Gunmen killed a man who was an army colonel under Saddam Hussein in Falluja, west of Baghdad, police said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* NEAR MAHMUDIYA - Insurgents attacked a team of seven U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi army interpreter south of Baghdad, killing five soldiers while three others were missing, the U.S. military said in a statement.
* NEAR LATIFIYA - Three bodies were found shot dead near the small town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained three suspects and destroyed a car bomb during a raid in the Shi'ite stronghold of Sadr City aimed at breaking a network suspected of procuring sophisticated explosives from Iran, the U.S. military said. It said the three were believed to have ties to a secret network that smuggles so-called EFPs and sends Iraqi militants for training to Iran.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a policeman in front of his home in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya, police said.
* FALLUJA - Gunmen killed a man who was an army colonel under Saddam Hussein in Falluja, west of Baghdad, police said.
Labels: Diwaniya, EFPs, Fallujah, gunmen, insurgents, Latifiyah, Mahmudiya, Sadr City
Friday, May 11, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
Roundup of Iraq Violence - 10 May 2007
(McClatchy Newspapers) - The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(McClatchy Newspapers) - The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1200 GMT on Friday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* BAGHDAD - A U.S. soldier was killed and two others were wounded when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, the U.S. military said. One of the wounded soldiers later returned to duty, the military said.
TIKRIT - One U.S. soldier was killed and nine were wounded by an explosion on Thursday during combat operations in Diyala province, north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
DIWANIYA - A U.S. soldier was killed on Thursday when his patrol came under small-arms fire in Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - A U.S. soldier was killed by small-arms fire on Thursday in southern Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. troops killed four militants suspected of involvement in car bomb networks, including one believed to have links to senior al Qaeda in Iraq leaders in a series of raids in and around Baghdad and in the northern city of Mosul over the past two days, the U.S. military. Nine militants were detained.
ZAAFARANIYA - A mortar bomb killed two people and wounded four when it hit a market in Zaafaraniya district in southern Baghdad on Thursday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Police said they found 20 bullet-riddled bodies in different districts of Baghdad on Thursday.
MOSUL - Police found six bodies on Thursday in different districts in Mosul, north of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two mortar bombs killed two people and wounded one in southern Baghdad's Doura district on Thursday, police said.
DIWANIYA - A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol wounded five policemen and three other people on Thursday in Diwaniya, police said.
KIRKUK - Police said they found an unidentified bullet-riddled body bearing signs of torture on Friday in Hawija, 70 km (43 miles) southwest of Kirkuk.
KIRKUK - Gunmen killed one civilian in a drive-by shooting in Kirkuk, police said.
FALLUJA - U.S. forces killed several insurgents and destroyed three trucks with mounted anti-aircraft weapons on Tuesday near Karmah, a town near the western city of Falluja, the U.S. military said.
FALLUJA - Gunmen killed the deputy mayor of Falluja's municipal council in a drive-by shooting near his house, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces found a large cache of mortar rounds in western Baghdad on Wednesday, the U.S. military said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* BAGHDAD - A U.S. soldier was killed and two others were wounded when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, the U.S. military said. One of the wounded soldiers later returned to duty, the military said.
TIKRIT - One U.S. soldier was killed and nine were wounded by an explosion on Thursday during combat operations in Diyala province, north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
DIWANIYA - A U.S. soldier was killed on Thursday when his patrol came under small-arms fire in Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - A U.S. soldier was killed by small-arms fire on Thursday in southern Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. troops killed four militants suspected of involvement in car bomb networks, including one believed to have links to senior al Qaeda in Iraq leaders in a series of raids in and around Baghdad and in the northern city of Mosul over the past two days, the U.S. military. Nine militants were detained.
ZAAFARANIYA - A mortar bomb killed two people and wounded four when it hit a market in Zaafaraniya district in southern Baghdad on Thursday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Police said they found 20 bullet-riddled bodies in different districts of Baghdad on Thursday.
MOSUL - Police found six bodies on Thursday in different districts in Mosul, north of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two mortar bombs killed two people and wounded one in southern Baghdad's Doura district on Thursday, police said.
DIWANIYA - A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol wounded five policemen and three other people on Thursday in Diwaniya, police said.
KIRKUK - Police said they found an unidentified bullet-riddled body bearing signs of torture on Friday in Hawija, 70 km (43 miles) southwest of Kirkuk.
KIRKUK - Gunmen killed one civilian in a drive-by shooting in Kirkuk, police said.
FALLUJA - U.S. forces killed several insurgents and destroyed three trucks with mounted anti-aircraft weapons on Tuesday near Karmah, a town near the western city of Falluja, the U.S. military said.
FALLUJA - Gunmen killed the deputy mayor of Falluja's municipal council in a drive-by shooting near his house, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces found a large cache of mortar rounds in western Baghdad on Wednesday, the U.S. military said.
Labels: Baghdad, car bomb networks, Diwaniya, Doura, Fallujah, Hawija, mortar rounds, Mosul, Tikrit, Zaafaraniya
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq as of 1100 GMT on Saturday:
* denotes new or updated items
* MUSSAYAB - Mussayab mayor Mehdi Abdul Hussein al-Najem and two of his bodyguards were killed in an ambush, police said. A roadside bomb exploded next to their vehicles in the attack at Mussayab, 60 km (40 miles) south of Baghdad, and gunmen then opened fire.
BAGHDAD - One soldier was killed and two others were wounded when they were hit by a roadside bomb during a patrol southwest of Baghdad, the U.S. military said
KHALIS - The bodies of eight people were found in Khalis, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, a police source said. All showed signs of torture and four had been beheaded.
BAGHDAD - A bomb planted in a minibus in Baghdad's Shi'ite stronghold of Sadr City killed up to two people and wounded about five others, police said. Another bus next to it was also hit by the blast.
KIRKUK - Gunmen stormed a house and killed four members of the same family -- a wife, husband and their two children -- in the city of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad.
DIWANIYA - One Polish soldier was killed and four more were wounded in a roadside bomb attack near Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, on Friday, Poland's Ministry of Defence said.
BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb attack on a U.S. military patrol wounded two soldiers at Baladiat, east of Baghdad, Iraqi police said.
MUSSAYAB - An Iraqi civilian was found shot dead in Mussayab, police said.
* denotes new or updated items
* MUSSAYAB - Mussayab mayor Mehdi Abdul Hussein al-Najem and two of his bodyguards were killed in an ambush, police said. A roadside bomb exploded next to their vehicles in the attack at Mussayab, 60 km (40 miles) south of Baghdad, and gunmen then opened fire.
BAGHDAD - One soldier was killed and two others were wounded when they were hit by a roadside bomb during a patrol southwest of Baghdad, the U.S. military said
KHALIS - The bodies of eight people were found in Khalis, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, a police source said. All showed signs of torture and four had been beheaded.
BAGHDAD - A bomb planted in a minibus in Baghdad's Shi'ite stronghold of Sadr City killed up to two people and wounded about five others, police said. Another bus next to it was also hit by the blast.
KIRKUK - Gunmen stormed a house and killed four members of the same family -- a wife, husband and their two children -- in the city of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad.
DIWANIYA - One Polish soldier was killed and four more were wounded in a roadside bomb attack near Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, on Friday, Poland's Ministry of Defence said.
BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb attack on a U.S. military patrol wounded two soldiers at Baladiat, east of Baghdad, Iraqi police said.
MUSSAYAB - An Iraqi civilian was found shot dead in Mussayab, police said.
Labels: ambush, Baghdad, bomb, Diwaniya, gunmen, Khalis, Kirkuk, Mehdi Abdul Hussein al-Najem, Mussayab, roadside bombs
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Tribal chiefs in Diwaniyah demand the departure of U.S. troops
Security, Tribal
(VOI) – Tribal chiefs and notables in Afak and other districts in Diwaniya staged a march on Friday demanding the departure of U.S. forces from Iraq and the handover of security responsibilities to Iraqi forces. A statement issued by a rally and received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) on Friday held the local council and governor responsible for the recent incidents in Diwaniya, capital of predominantly Shiite province of al-Qadissiya.
Diwaniya has witnessed recent violent confrontations between joint Iraqi-U.S. forces and gunmen from Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militias, in which dozens were killed and wounded. The marchers also called for releasing the detainees loyal to al-Sadr and other prisoners "save those whose hands were stained with blood" and compensating the people harmed by operations conducted by U.S. forces. Troops from the Iraqi army's 8th Division and the Multi-National Force have been waging a wide-scale campaign in Diwaniya for a week now under the codename Operation Black Eagle to impose order and law in the city.
Labels: Afak, Diwaniya, Mahdi Army, Operation Black Eagle, tribal leaders, U.S. soldiers
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Families flee violence in Diwaniyah as Mahdi Army and security forces clash
Security
(Azzaman) - Fighting in the southern city of Diwaniya has forced hundreds of families to flee their homes. Fighting between U.S. forces and the militia group known as Mahdi Army has been raging in the city for four days. The troops are searching houses and mounting raids on residential areas where Mahdi Army fighters are reported to be hiding. The troops, aided by Iraqi police and forces, say they have ‘purged’ the northern sectors of the city and were heading towards the southern parts where they are meeting stiff resistance.
As the troops move into residential areas, hundreds of families are fleeing in disarray, fearing for their lives. The city has been under curfew for the past few days and without electricity and basic amenities. Hameed Jaati of the Health Department in Diwaniya said nine civilians have been killed and 25 others wounded in the fighting.
The Mahdi Army is the military wing of the movement led by the Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr who opposes the presence of U.S. occupation troops in the country. Sadr has six ministers in the cabinet and 30 deputies in parliament but his alliance with the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unstable. He staged massive demonstration against U.S. occupation to mark the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad to U.S. troops and has threatened to leave the government.
Diwaniya, 180 kilometers south of Baghdad, is the administrative capital of the Province of Qadissiya. Located on a branch of the Euphrates River and on the Baghdad-Basra railroad, it is a marketplace for dates and grains.
As the troops move into residential areas, hundreds of families are fleeing in disarray, fearing for their lives. The city has been under curfew for the past few days and without electricity and basic amenities. Hameed Jaati of the Health Department in Diwaniya said nine civilians have been killed and 25 others wounded in the fighting.
The Mahdi Army is the military wing of the movement led by the Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr who opposes the presence of U.S. occupation troops in the country. Sadr has six ministers in the cabinet and 30 deputies in parliament but his alliance with the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unstable. He staged massive demonstration against U.S. occupation to mark the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad to U.S. troops and has threatened to leave the government.
Diwaniya, 180 kilometers south of Baghdad, is the administrative capital of the Province of Qadissiya. Located on a branch of the Euphrates River and on the Baghdad-Basra railroad, it is a marketplace for dates and grains.
Labels: Diwaniya, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, U.S. military
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Air strikes launched on Diwaniyah
Security
(Middle East Times) - US forces launched an air strike in the central city of Diwaniyah on Saturday as clashes between militiamen and security forces continued for a second straight day, the military said. "Iraqi army and coalition forces as part of Operation Black Eagle used a strategic air strike to defend against illegally armed militia men using shoulder-fired rocket propelled grenades," the US military said.
An Iraqi army source said US planes had bombed houses where suspects were holed up in the city's Al-Jhumuriyah district, "destroying two of them." There was no immediate information of casualties, he added. The US military said air support had been called in by the Iraqi army after "positive identification of the militiamen."
The Iraqi military source said clashes were pitting Iraqi and US forces against armed men in Diwaniyah's Salim Street and southern areas of the city including the Nahda and Wahda districts. A curfew continued in Diwaniyah for a second day and hospitals were calling in doctors to report for duty, the Iraqi army source added.
US-backed Iraqi forces swept through the city on Friday, arresting nearly 30 militants and killing three fighters as part of the crackdown aimed at reining in Shiite militiamen who often also clash among themselves.
The military said the operation was intended to disrupt militia activity and return control of the city south of Baghdad to the government.
Over the past year, Diwaniyah has seen repeated clashes between the security forces and Shiite militias. Last August, nearly two dozen Iraqi soldiers and dozens of militiamen were killed in the deadliest bout of fighting.
The city is engulfed in bitter political rivalry as militiamen loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr clash with those linked to the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), a powerful Shiite political bloc.
An Iraqi army source said US planes had bombed houses where suspects were holed up in the city's Al-Jhumuriyah district, "destroying two of them." There was no immediate information of casualties, he added. The US military said air support had been called in by the Iraqi army after "positive identification of the militiamen."
The Iraqi military source said clashes were pitting Iraqi and US forces against armed men in Diwaniyah's Salim Street and southern areas of the city including the Nahda and Wahda districts. A curfew continued in Diwaniyah for a second day and hospitals were calling in doctors to report for duty, the Iraqi army source added.
US-backed Iraqi forces swept through the city on Friday, arresting nearly 30 militants and killing three fighters as part of the crackdown aimed at reining in Shiite militiamen who often also clash among themselves.
The military said the operation was intended to disrupt militia activity and return control of the city south of Baghdad to the government.
Over the past year, Diwaniyah has seen repeated clashes between the security forces and Shiite militias. Last August, nearly two dozen Iraqi soldiers and dozens of militiamen were killed in the deadliest bout of fighting.
The city is engulfed in bitter political rivalry as militiamen loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr clash with those linked to the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), a powerful Shiite political bloc.
COMMENT: The Diwaniyah police are heavily infiltrated by the Badr Corps who are the militia of the Shia Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). There is a longstanding bitter rivalry between the Badr Corps and al-Sadr's Mahdi Army (also Shia). The Mahdi Army is also present in Diwaniyah but some sources say they no longer heed al-Sadr and are splinter groups of his militia. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Diwaniya, militias, Operation Black Eagle
Friday, April 06, 2007
Operation Black Eagle targets Mahdi Army in Diwaniyah
Security
(Reuters) - Iraqi and U.S. troops on Friday moved into the southern city of Diwaniya, a stronghold of Shi'ite militia loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, in an operation to curb the militia's increasing influence. The U.S. military said in a statement that Operation Black Eagle aimed "to disrupt militia activity and return security and stability of the volatile city back to the Iraqi government".
Residents and an Iraqi security source in Diwaniya told Reuters a curfew had been imposed and that troops were blocking streets and conducting house-to-house searches. The security source said police in the city, many of whom are suspected of being infiltrated by Sadr's Mehdi Army militia, had been ordered to stay at home.
"There were clear instructions for local police not to report to work today. The security forces are from outside the city," the source told Reuters. Diwaniya, 180 km (110 miles) south of Baghdad, has witnessed fierce street battles between U.S.-led forces and Mehdi Army militiamen in recent months.
Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has vowed to target militias and Sunni insurgents in a major new security crackdown aimed at curbing sectarian violence in Iraq that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The crackdown is focussed on Baghdad, epicentre of the violence, but the government has said it will start spreading to other cities.
Residents and an Iraqi security source in Diwaniya told Reuters a curfew had been imposed and that troops were blocking streets and conducting house-to-house searches. The security source said police in the city, many of whom are suspected of being infiltrated by Sadr's Mehdi Army militia, had been ordered to stay at home.
"There were clear instructions for local police not to report to work today. The security forces are from outside the city," the source told Reuters. Diwaniya, 180 km (110 miles) south of Baghdad, has witnessed fierce street battles between U.S.-led forces and Mehdi Army militiamen in recent months.
Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has vowed to target militias and Sunni insurgents in a major new security crackdown aimed at curbing sectarian violence in Iraq that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The crackdown is focussed on Baghdad, epicentre of the violence, but the government has said it will start spreading to other cities.
A security source in Diwaniya said clashes erupted in the southern parts of the city where Mehdi Army militiamen are most powerful. Medical sources said four civilians were wounded. Some residents welcomed the operation and said the militias have been ruling the city through fear.
Labels: curfew, Diwaniya, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Operation Black Eagle
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Al-Sadr aide warns over deteriorating situation in Diwaniyah
Security
(Azzaman) - A senior aide to the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said security conditions in the southern city of Diwaniya were worsening at an alarming rate. Sheikh Haydar, Sadr’s spokesman in the city, warned that “real tragedy is in store for Diwaniya unless the authorities move to save the situation.” Sadr’s political movement and its military wing, the Mahdi Army, are the domineering force in Diwaniya.
The city and the roads leading to it are not safe and there has been a substantial rise in attacks by unidentified gunmen most of them in the form of kidnappings for ransom and assassination. Four civilians were shot and killed in the city in the past 48 hours. The Sadr group is often reported to be implicated in the violence but Haydar said his movement strongly condemned murder and the use of force to solve problems.
Haydar accused U.S. occupation troops of ‘destroying’ Iraqi cities and held them accountable for much of the violence currently taking place in the country. “We call on the national symbols and personalities to quickly move and repair the destruction occupation troops have cause following their invasion of the country,” he said.
Diwaniya, 180 kilometers south of Baghdad, is the administrative capital of the Province of Qadissiya. Located in central Iraq, on a branch of the Euphrates River and on the Baghdad-Basra railroad, it is a marketplace for dates and grains
The city and the roads leading to it are not safe and there has been a substantial rise in attacks by unidentified gunmen most of them in the form of kidnappings for ransom and assassination. Four civilians were shot and killed in the city in the past 48 hours. The Sadr group is often reported to be implicated in the violence but Haydar said his movement strongly condemned murder and the use of force to solve problems.
Haydar accused U.S. occupation troops of ‘destroying’ Iraqi cities and held them accountable for much of the violence currently taking place in the country. “We call on the national symbols and personalities to quickly move and repair the destruction occupation troops have cause following their invasion of the country,” he said.
Diwaniya, 180 kilometers south of Baghdad, is the administrative capital of the Province of Qadissiya. Located in central Iraq, on a branch of the Euphrates River and on the Baghdad-Basra railroad, it is a marketplace for dates and grains
Labels: Diwaniya, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Sheikh Haydar
