Monday, May 14, 2007
Mass exodus from Diyala, AQI training camps discovered
Security
(Asharq Al Awsat Newspaper AR. vers.) - 13 MAY - A high level security source told our newspaper that intelligence information indicates that the Hamrin Mountain area has become a safe haven for Al Qaida terrorists. The terrorists are entrenched in the rocky and difficult terrain of the mountains which extends to the Iranian border to the east and Kurdistan to the north. They launch their attacks from this area on Diyala’s areas which has caused a mass exodus of Diyala’s people.
Due to the Baghdad security plan and Anbar’s tribal operations most of Al Qaida’s leaders have fled to the Hamrin area. Last month in Qazaniya, 30 km north of Baquba, the source said that seven training and recruitment camps were discovered. Displaced families from Diyala have confirmed the military source’s information. Abu Nassir, from Tuz Khormato, said that insurgents began distributing flyers that said Baquba will become an Islamic emirate. Some of the emirate’s rules have begun to be implemented such as the distribution of veils to primary school girls.
An Iraqi Red Crescent spokesman, Uday Abu Tabikh, announced that 700 families have been displaced from Diyala in one week. Abu Tabikh confirmed to the French Press Agency that the 700 families consisting of around 3,500 people were displaced because of the violence and the number of the displaced continues to increase. The displaced families are gathering near the Baghdad Governorate building asking for a place to live. Abu Tabikh added that the Red Crescent has opened a new camp in Mohammed Sakran in northern Baghdad Governorate. This new camp has around a one hundred family capacity. There is another camp with similar capacity in the Hussainiya area in NE Baghdad.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Diyala, Hamrin Mountain, Iraqi Red Crescent Society, Mohammed Sakran, Qazaniya, refugee camp, terrorist training camp, Uday Abu Tabikh
