Thursday, October 04, 2007
Gunmen in uniform kidnap civilians in Diyala
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniform kidnapped 13 civilians on Wednesday afternoon at a fake checkpoint in Diala, central Iraq, a police source said. "Unknown gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms positioned a fake checkpoint on the main road linking Baaquba and Khalis, and forced 13 civilians at gunpoint to an unknown location," the source, who requested anonymity, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). The source, who provided no further details, said "among the captives were women and children." Diala is 57 km northeast of Baghdad.
Labels: abduction, captives, Diyala, gunmen
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
U.S. forces release 73 captives in Fallujah
Security, Tribal
(Voices of Iraq) - U.S. forces released a total of 73 captives, a tribal source in Falluja said on Monday. “The U.S. forces in Falluja released 73 captives on Monday,” Sheikh Saleh al-Bejari told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). “Tribal chiefs presented a request to the U.S. command in Falluja, during a meeting with the forces, in which they called for the captives the forces had been detaining to be freed,” the sheikh added. “They are residents from Falluja, Ramadi and Haditha cities,” he noted. No immediate comment was avaliable from a U.S. forces spokesperson on the matter. Falluja is the capital city of Anbar province. It is located 57 km west of Baghdad.
COMMENT: It is likely the captives are members of tribes who belong to the Anbar Salvation Council (ASC) - the coalition of tribes fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq. The ASC has turned around the situation in Al Anbar and the U.S. forces may have little choice but to listen to them and heed their demands within reason. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Al Anbar, captives, Fallujah, Sheikh Saleh al-Bejari
