Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Mosul curfew lifted
Security
(Gulf News) - The four-day curfew imposed on Mosul since late last Friday because of potential threats from Al Qaida to attack targets in the Sunni-dominated city was lifted yesterday, residents said. Duraid Kashmolah, Mosul's governor, announced in an earlier statement "that because of threats from Al Qaida, and to preserve the security of the city, a curfew was decided starting from late last Friday and early Monday morning."
It was not immediately known what security measures were taken in the city to face any possible threats from Al Qaida. Mosul has approximately three million inhabitants, mostly Sunni Arabs and Kurds, Christians, Yezides and Sabians. The province is facing disputes between Arabs and Kurds yet is expected to resolve this under article 140 of the permanent Iraqi constitution.
The deteriorating security situation has turned the province into a city of panic. Citizens erected barricades to the entrance of each neighbourhood after the recent attacks in the Sinjar area which claimed the lives of 344 Yezide Kurds according to the latest statistics. Meanwhile, Arab-Kurdish tension continues to prevail in the city.
Zuhair Al Tamimi, a political researcher at Mosul University, told Gulf News: "I believe there is an American and Turkish conspiracy against Mosul which aims to raise ethnic, religious and sectarian divisions...I think violence has already led citizens to a complete geographical segregation.. It means the city is divided with no official announcement, beside people cannot coexist together nor trust each other."
Talkaif, a Christian-inhabited area rushed to fortify its neighbourhoods with barriers and formed a night watch, Joseph Najeeb, an Iraqi engineer living in Talkaif, told Gulf News. "Christians will be targeted later by bloody explosions. It does not mean there is an Islamic-Christian conflict because those who do these acts are targeting Christians, Muslims, Arabs and Kurds alike. I think the plan is to empty Mosul from its original inhabitants to be controlled by regional forces."
Mosul turns into a ghost town after about 6pm. Many of its population supported Saddam's regime and some commemorate the anniversary of the deaths of Uday and Qusay (Saddam's sons) in 2003 in Mosul .Omar Al Faydhi, a cleric in Mosul, told Gulf News: "The American occupation succeeded in creating mistrust among Mosul citizens, they managed to make them accuse and kill each other."
It was not immediately known what security measures were taken in the city to face any possible threats from Al Qaida. Mosul has approximately three million inhabitants, mostly Sunni Arabs and Kurds, Christians, Yezides and Sabians. The province is facing disputes between Arabs and Kurds yet is expected to resolve this under article 140 of the permanent Iraqi constitution.
The deteriorating security situation has turned the province into a city of panic. Citizens erected barricades to the entrance of each neighbourhood after the recent attacks in the Sinjar area which claimed the lives of 344 Yezide Kurds according to the latest statistics. Meanwhile, Arab-Kurdish tension continues to prevail in the city.
Zuhair Al Tamimi, a political researcher at Mosul University, told Gulf News: "I believe there is an American and Turkish conspiracy against Mosul which aims to raise ethnic, religious and sectarian divisions...I think violence has already led citizens to a complete geographical segregation.. It means the city is divided with no official announcement, beside people cannot coexist together nor trust each other."
Talkaif, a Christian-inhabited area rushed to fortify its neighbourhoods with barriers and formed a night watch, Joseph Najeeb, an Iraqi engineer living in Talkaif, told Gulf News. "Christians will be targeted later by bloody explosions. It does not mean there is an Islamic-Christian conflict because those who do these acts are targeting Christians, Muslims, Arabs and Kurds alike. I think the plan is to empty Mosul from its original inhabitants to be controlled by regional forces."
Mosul turns into a ghost town after about 6pm. Many of its population supported Saddam's regime and some commemorate the anniversary of the deaths of Uday and Qusay (Saddam's sons) in 2003 in Mosul .Omar Al Faydhi, a cleric in Mosul, told Gulf News: "The American occupation succeeded in creating mistrust among Mosul citizens, they managed to make them accuse and kill each other."
Labels: Al Qaeda, curfew, Duraid Kashmolah, Mosul
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Top clerics name start dates for Ramadan
Religion
(AFP) - Iraq's minority Sunni Arab community will begin observing Ramadan -- Islam's holiest period -- from Thursday, followed a day later by the majority Shiites, top clerics said. Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Ghafur al-Sammaraie, the head of Sunni religious endowment in Iraq, said the Sunni Arabs in the war-ravaged country would observe Ramadan from Thursday. "The legal committee for observing the crescent has decided that Thursday is the first day of Ramadan," Sammaraie said in a statement.
Iraq's Shiites, who are a minority in the Muslim world but make up the majority in Iraq, will observe the holy period from Friday, according to the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the seniormost Shiite cleric. "The office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani expects that the crescent will be observed late Thursday and Friday will be the first day of Ramadan," a statement from Sistani's office said.
Baghdadis were out on the streets in numbers on Wednesday, purchasing sweets, pastries, and other food and household items for Ramadan. During the dawn-to-dusk fasting month, the nightly curfew will be eased in the capital, coming into effect at midnight instead of at 11:00 pm. It will continue to be enforced until 5:00 am. Authorities have also scrapped the weekly vehicle curfew that usually applies between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm on Fridays, for the duration of the fasting month.
However, vehicles will not be allowed over the many bridges that span the Tigris River and link east and west Baghdad on the Muslim day of prayer and rest. On Wednesday, the interior ministry issued a list of instructions it said were aimed at thwarting attacks during Ramadan, a period of high violence in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.
Baghdadis were out on the streets in numbers on Wednesday, purchasing sweets, pastries, and other food and household items for Ramadan. During the dawn-to-dusk fasting month, the nightly curfew will be eased in the capital, coming into effect at midnight instead of at 11:00 pm. It will continue to be enforced until 5:00 am. Authorities have also scrapped the weekly vehicle curfew that usually applies between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm on Fridays, for the duration of the fasting month.
However, vehicles will not be allowed over the many bridges that span the Tigris River and link east and west Baghdad on the Muslim day of prayer and rest. On Wednesday, the interior ministry issued a list of instructions it said were aimed at thwarting attacks during Ramadan, a period of high violence in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, curfew, Ramadan, Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Ghafur al-Sammaraie
Monday, September 10, 2007
Night curfew to be eased in Baghdad during Ramadan
Security
(AFP) - Iraq will ease the nightly curfew in Baghdad during the holy month of Ramadan which begins this week, Brigadier General Qassim Atta, spokesman for the Baghdad security plan, said on Monday. Atta said the curfew in the capital would come into effect at midnight (2000 GMT) instead of 11.00 pm but would continue to be enforced until 5:00 am (0100 GMT). He added that the authorities had also decided to scrap the weekly vehicle curfew that usually applies between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm on Fridays, for the duration of the fasting month.
However, vehicles will not be allowed over the many bridges that span the Tigris River and link east and west Baghdad on the Muslim day of rest. The vehicle curfew was introduced to thwart insurgent attacks on worshippers observing the main weekly prayers. The announcement of the changes to the curfew came hours after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said that violence in Baghdad had fallen by 75 percent since the US military "surge" was launched in the capital on February 14.
However, vehicles will not be allowed over the many bridges that span the Tigris River and link east and west Baghdad on the Muslim day of rest. The vehicle curfew was introduced to thwart insurgent attacks on worshippers observing the main weekly prayers. The announcement of the changes to the curfew came hours after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said that violence in Baghdad had fallen by 75 percent since the US military "surge" was launched in the capital on February 14.
Labels: Baghdad, Brigadier General Qassim Atta, curfew, Ramadan
Karbala shrines open, curfew reduced
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - Visitors to the Shiite sacred city of Karbala were able on Monday to visit Karbala city that hosts shrines holiest to the Shiite Muslims after three weeks of tough security measures which banned visitors from entry to the city following fierce clashes that took place during an observance of a Shiite occasion, a senior security official said on Monday. "All Karbala outlets have been open before all visitors seeking entry to the city since today at 6:00 am," the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Karbala local authorities decided to seal off all outlets to the Shiite sacred city before visitors for the last three weeks as a precautionary measure to prevent any security violation after clashes erupted between security forces and gunmen in the area between the Shrines of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammed, and his brother Abbas while Karbala was receiving hundreds thousands of Shiite pilgrims who walked from different parts of Iraq to observe the birth anniversary of the 12th Shiite Imam al-Mahdi.
On Sunday, Major-General Othman al-Ghanmi, Karbala Operation Commander, told a news conference "all Karbala city outlets will be open before visitors as of Monday dawn and people will be able to enter to the area linking the two shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas." The Iraqi commander also said "the hours of night curfew on the city will be reduced one hour so that as of Monday the night curfew will start from 10:00 pm till 6:00 am."
Over the next weeks, General al-Ghanmi said "the night curfew will be totally lifted and Karbala will be back as it was before the latest incidents without a night curfew." Three weeks ago, 35 people were killed and 130 were wounded after clashes broke out between gunmen and security forces in the city sacred to the Shiite Muslims.
Karbala local authorities decided to seal off all outlets to the Shiite sacred city before visitors for the last three weeks as a precautionary measure to prevent any security violation after clashes erupted between security forces and gunmen in the area between the Shrines of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammed, and his brother Abbas while Karbala was receiving hundreds thousands of Shiite pilgrims who walked from different parts of Iraq to observe the birth anniversary of the 12th Shiite Imam al-Mahdi.
On Sunday, Major-General Othman al-Ghanmi, Karbala Operation Commander, told a news conference "all Karbala city outlets will be open before visitors as of Monday dawn and people will be able to enter to the area linking the two shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas." The Iraqi commander also said "the hours of night curfew on the city will be reduced one hour so that as of Monday the night curfew will start from 10:00 pm till 6:00 am."
Over the next weeks, General al-Ghanmi said "the night curfew will be totally lifted and Karbala will be back as it was before the latest incidents without a night curfew." Three weeks ago, 35 people were killed and 130 were wounded after clashes broke out between gunmen and security forces in the city sacred to the Shiite Muslims.
Labels: curfew, Karbala, Major-General Othman al-Ghanmi
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Special Security Procedures During Ramadan
Security
(Al Mada Newspaper) - 5 SEP - An “Operation Enforcing the Law” spokesman has confirmed that Baghdad’s Operations Command has created a (special) security plan for the Ramadan period. It is likely that the curfew hours will be decreased during Ramadan [since Moslems must fast during Ramadan’s daylight hours, curfews will probably be rolled back to allow them to get food, etc. after sundown].
Yesterday, during a press conference in the Baghdad Convention Center, Brigadier General Qassim Atta said: Baghdad’s Operations Command often creates (new) security plans (for special circumstances)…and Ramadan’s security plan will be a good plan. He continued: the Security Force Commanders are considering “decreased curfew hours during the (Moslem) holy month of Ramadan”…however, he did not provide any further details.
Yesterday, during a press conference in the Baghdad Convention Center, Brigadier General Qassim Atta said: Baghdad’s Operations Command often creates (new) security plans (for special circumstances)…and Ramadan’s security plan will be a good plan. He continued: the Security Force Commanders are considering “decreased curfew hours during the (Moslem) holy month of Ramadan”…however, he did not provide any further details.
Labels: Brigadier General Qassim Atta, curfew, Ramadan
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
52 dead in Karbala as rival Shiite militias battle for power
Security
(Al Jazeera) - Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, has ordered an indefinite curfew in Karbala, Iraqi state TV says, a day after fighting left at least 52 people dead during an annual Shia pilgrimage. A spokesman for al-Maliki said on Wednesday that he had arrived in Karbala to inspect the situation. Al-Maliki said on Wednesday that his troops had restored calm to the city and blamed "outlawed armed criminal gangs from the remnants of the buried Saddam regime" for the violence.
However, the violence among rival Shia factions appeared to have spread overnight. Fighters attacked the offices of a powerful Shia party in at least five cities, setting many of them ablaze. In a separate incident on Wednesday in Mosul to the north, armed men raided an Iraqi police checkpoint on Wednesday and killed five policemen and a civilian, police said.
Al-Maliki, in a statement on Wednesday, said: "The situation in Karbala is under control after military reinforcements arrived and police and military special forces have spread throughout the city to purge those killers and criminals." Sporadic and occasionally sustained gunfire could still be heard after dawn in the city, coming from the area around the shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas.
The fighting killed 52 people and wounded 206 on Tuesday, a senior security official in Baghdad said. The general director of the al-Hussein hospital in Karbala, 110km south of the capital, said it had received 34 bodies and treated 239 wounded. Ali Kadhum, an official at the shrines' media office, said the two shrines had been slightly damaged, with bullets hitting their domes and minarets and an electric power station ruined.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had gathered in the city to mark the birthday of the 12th and last Shia imam. The interior ministry accused al-Mahdi army, a militia loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader, of attacking government forces in Karbala, the site of two shrines under the control of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC). Al-Sadr's forces are vying with the SIIC for power in the regions south of Baghdad.
Al-Sadr called for calm on Tuesday night but police said SIIC buildings were torched overnight in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighbourhood, in the city of Kufa, in Iskandariya and in al-Hamza district of Babil province. Another SIIC headquarters was struck by rocket-propelled grenades in the centre of Najaf.
This week's Shia pilgrimage was to have reached its high point on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Thousands thronged the city to mark the12th imam's birthday. Pilgrims had earlier complained about the level of security - which they said was so high it made movement frustratingly slow near the Imam al-Hussein mosque. Security was high as pilgrims have been killed in previous years by suicide bombers.
Major-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, a spokesman for the interior ministry, said al-Maliki had dispatched more troops to the area from Baghdad and the surrounding areas. Khalaf described the armed men as "criminals" and said that the curfew was imposed because of fears for the large mass of pilgrims. He said: "The situation now is under control, but what is worrying is that the pilgrims are in huge numbers."
However, the violence among rival Shia factions appeared to have spread overnight. Fighters attacked the offices of a powerful Shia party in at least five cities, setting many of them ablaze. In a separate incident on Wednesday in Mosul to the north, armed men raided an Iraqi police checkpoint on Wednesday and killed five policemen and a civilian, police said.
Al-Maliki, in a statement on Wednesday, said: "The situation in Karbala is under control after military reinforcements arrived and police and military special forces have spread throughout the city to purge those killers and criminals." Sporadic and occasionally sustained gunfire could still be heard after dawn in the city, coming from the area around the shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas.
The fighting killed 52 people and wounded 206 on Tuesday, a senior security official in Baghdad said. The general director of the al-Hussein hospital in Karbala, 110km south of the capital, said it had received 34 bodies and treated 239 wounded. Ali Kadhum, an official at the shrines' media office, said the two shrines had been slightly damaged, with bullets hitting their domes and minarets and an electric power station ruined.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had gathered in the city to mark the birthday of the 12th and last Shia imam. The interior ministry accused al-Mahdi army, a militia loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader, of attacking government forces in Karbala, the site of two shrines under the control of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC). Al-Sadr's forces are vying with the SIIC for power in the regions south of Baghdad.
Al-Sadr called for calm on Tuesday night but police said SIIC buildings were torched overnight in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighbourhood, in the city of Kufa, in Iskandariya and in al-Hamza district of Babil province. Another SIIC headquarters was struck by rocket-propelled grenades in the centre of Najaf.
This week's Shia pilgrimage was to have reached its high point on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Thousands thronged the city to mark the12th imam's birthday. Pilgrims had earlier complained about the level of security - which they said was so high it made movement frustratingly slow near the Imam al-Hussein mosque. Security was high as pilgrims have been killed in previous years by suicide bombers.
Major-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, a spokesman for the interior ministry, said al-Maliki had dispatched more troops to the area from Baghdad and the surrounding areas. Khalaf described the armed men as "criminals" and said that the curfew was imposed because of fears for the large mass of pilgrims. He said: "The situation now is under control, but what is worrying is that the pilgrims are in huge numbers."
COMMENT: Tensions are high in southern Iraq as the Mahdi Army and the Badr Organisation (the militia arm of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council - SIIC) fight for power. These tensions could easily escalate. Several issues have added to the hostilities between the rival groups; the recent assassinations of two SIIC governors, and the power vacuum left in Basrah as the British have decreased their presence. The security forces in karbala are also heavily infiltrated by the Badr Organisation. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Badr Organisation, curfew, Karbala, Mahdi Army, Major-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sha'abaniya, Shiite pilgrims, SIIC
Monday, August 20, 2007
Mosul curfew extended
Security
(Azzaman) - Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, has been placed under a tight curfew covering most of the day and the whole night. The decision to slap the curfew was taken by Governor Duraid Kashmoullah following the devastating car bombings on Wednesday in which 400 people were killed and 600 wounded. The villages targeted were inhabited by Yazidis, a little know sect to the world whose members in the eyes of Qaeda organization are infidels who must either convert to Islam or die.
The devastated villages though under Kurdish militia control are still within the provincial borders of Nineveh of which Mosul is the capital. The bombings have sent yet another signal that Mosul is turning into a major Qaeda garrison. Many parts of the city itself are no-go areas for both Iraqi and U.S. troops and Qaeda militants impose their way of life relying on a strict interpretation of Islam on most of the province.
Kashmoullah in announcing the extension of the curfew to 6 a.m. from 3 p.m. said his decision was driven by “the necessity to take new security measures.” He did reveal the measures but acknowledge that operations by insurgents have increased recently and he was keen to have them contained.
The devastated villages though under Kurdish militia control are still within the provincial borders of Nineveh of which Mosul is the capital. The bombings have sent yet another signal that Mosul is turning into a major Qaeda garrison. Many parts of the city itself are no-go areas for both Iraqi and U.S. troops and Qaeda militants impose their way of life relying on a strict interpretation of Islam on most of the province.
Kashmoullah in announcing the extension of the curfew to 6 a.m. from 3 p.m. said his decision was driven by “the necessity to take new security measures.” He did reveal the measures but acknowledge that operations by insurgents have increased recently and he was keen to have them contained.
Labels: Al Qaeda, curfew, Governor Duraid Kashmoullah, Mosul, Yezidis
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
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Baghdad lockdown for religious festival
Security
(AFP) - All traffic will be banned in the war-torn Iraqi capital Baghdad this week to protect the Shiite pilgrims expected to throng a city shrine for a major festival, security forces said on Tuesday. The vehicle curfew will come into effect at 10 pm on Wednesday and last until 5 am on Saturday in an effort to secure the city during the anniversary the death of the Imam Musa Kadhim, Brigadier General Qassim Atta said.
In the Kadhimiyah district of the city, home to Kadhim's tomb and the centre of the celebrations, the curfew will begin on Tuesday night, he added. "The aim of the curfew is to deny terrorists and takfiri (sectarian extremists) any opportunity to strike," Atta, the chief spokesman of the Baghdad security plan, told state television. Atta said civilians would not be allowed to carry weapons and that the route that pilgrims will follow on foot to the shrine would be tightly controlled by Iraqi security forces.
Imam Kadhim was the seventh of the 12 Shiite imams and died in Baghdad in 799 after he was poisoned in prison. Every year tens of thousands of Shiite pilgrims mark his passing by visiting his tomb in Kadhimiyah.
Iraq is in the grip of sectarian war and previous pilgrimages have been marred by violence and accidents. In August 2005, at least 965 people were killed when fears of attack triggered a stampede on a Tigris river bridge.
In the Kadhimiyah district of the city, home to Kadhim's tomb and the centre of the celebrations, the curfew will begin on Tuesday night, he added. "The aim of the curfew is to deny terrorists and takfiri (sectarian extremists) any opportunity to strike," Atta, the chief spokesman of the Baghdad security plan, told state television. Atta said civilians would not be allowed to carry weapons and that the route that pilgrims will follow on foot to the shrine would be tightly controlled by Iraqi security forces.
Imam Kadhim was the seventh of the 12 Shiite imams and died in Baghdad in 799 after he was poisoned in prison. Every year tens of thousands of Shiite pilgrims mark his passing by visiting his tomb in Kadhimiyah.
Iraq is in the grip of sectarian war and previous pilgrimages have been marred by violence and accidents. In August 2005, at least 965 people were killed when fears of attack triggered a stampede on a Tigris river bridge.
Labels: Baghdad, Brigadier General Qassim Atta, curfew, Imam Musa Kadhim, Kadhimiyah, lockdown, religious festival, Shiite pilgrims
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Besieged Fallujah cut off
Security
(IPS) - Strict curfew and tight security measures have brought difficult living conditions and heightened tempers to residents of Fallujah. The siege in this city located 60km west of Baghdad has entered its second month. There is little sign of any international attention to the plight of the city. Fallujah, which is largely sympathetic to the Iraqi resistance, was assaulted twice by the U.S. military in 2004. The second attack in November destroyed roughly three-quarters of the city of 350,000 residents. Now, Fallujah faces assault of another kind by way of a strict curfew where people are closed in from all sides.
Many people who had earlier supported the Iraqi police that works with the U.S. military, now oppose it. "We gave full support to the police force despite opposition from others to forming this force," a community leader in the city who asked to be referred to as Ahmed told IPS. "Others told us this force would only serve the occupation forces, but we accused them of being against stability and order. Unfortunately, they appeared to be absolutely right."
Cars have not been permitted to move on the streets of Fallujah for nearly a month now. A ban was also enforced on bicycles, but residents were later granted permission to use them. On May 21 U.S. and Iraqi forces imposed a security crackdown on the city following continuing attacks. Local non-governmental organisations such as the Iraqi Aid Association (IAA) have told reporters that the U.S. military is not allowing them access to the city. "We have supplies but it is impossible to reach the families. They are afraid to leave their homes to look for food, and children are getting sick with diarrhoea caused by the dirty water they are drinking," IAA spokesman Fatah Ahmed told reporters. "We have information that pregnant women are delivering their babies at home as the curfew is preventing them from reaching hospital."
Medical services are inaccessible to most because the hospital is located on the other side of the Euphrates River from the rest of the city. Extra security checkpoints have severely hampered movement within the city, and most businesses have closed. A year ago the local police cut mobile phone services. The curfew is also restricting residents' ability to go out and find much needed supplies in the markets. Residents told IPS that there is on average only two hours electricity in 24 hours. Residents say they are up against killing prices. "Now they are killing us with a new weapon," a young man with a mask covering his face told IPS. "A jar of gas costs 20 dollars and a kilo of tomatoes costs 1.50 dollar, and people cannot go to work."
"U.S. snipers on rooftops are enjoying themselves watching us walk around to find a bite of food for our families," 55-year-old Hajji Mahmood told IPS. "They laugh at us and call us names. They should know Fallujah is still the same city that kicked them away three years ago." Life seems completely paralysed with little sign of movement under a blazing sun, with temperatures up to 45 degrees. "We are sweating to death because some of us went to those damned elections," said a 40-year-old lawyer, speaking with IPS on condition of anonymity, referring to the Jan. 30, 2005 elections. "The wise men told us not to, but we believed those crooks of the Islamic Party who promised to make things better," he said.
Many people in the city accuse the Islamic Party supportive of the U.S. of leading the 'security plan' in al-Anbar province where Fallujah is located. A local political analyst offered his views to IPS via the Internet, on condition of anonymity. "I find it rather strange that to control a city under the flag of providing citizens with peace and prosperity, you deprive them of all signs of life," he said. "Arab, Muslim and all international community leaders should be ashamed of themselves for not even talking about this crime. "Nonetheless, U.S. leaders are just buying more time towards more failure that they hope will magically turn into success. I am hopeless of any peace in Iraq as long as the democrats sold their fight cheap to the Bush administration."
Lt-Col Azize Abdel-Kader, a Defence Ministry official who coordinates security operations in al-Anbar said the curfew -- which runs from 6 pm until 8 am -- was necessary to maintain security. "It is a temporary curfew and we hope it can soon end," he told reporters in Baghdad last week. "We are looking into ways to let aid agencies enter Fallujah but it is too dangerous for the time being."
Labels: curfew, Fallujah, Iraqi Aid Association, Lt-Col Azize Abdel-Kader, siege
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Khadra Bridge Blown Up; Curfew In Fallujah To Search For Car Bombs
Security
(Al Mada Newspaper AR.) - 26 MAY - Security sources said, “On Friday, an IED explosion targeted the Khadra Bridge in Baghdad. The explosion led to the destruction of a huge part of the bridge.” The sources added, “This Bridge connects the highway to the Khadra and Jamiaa areas. Unidentified people planted IEDs under the bridge. When the IEDs exploded, it blew up part of the bridge. The affected part of the bridge is four meters. The explosions did not kill or wound anyone.”
In other news, a Fallujah Police source stated, “A car bomb exploded near an IP checkpoint in the Hay Al Shurta area of Fallujah during the Friday Prayer. The source added, “The car bomb explosion killed two people and wounded nine. All of them lived in the houses near Al Abd School which the IPs made as a camp.” The source also said, “The explosion destroyed three houses and a number of stores.”
In related news, a source close to Fallujah’s Mayor said, “Fallujah authorities started a curfew in Fallujah. The curfew will continue indefinitely. The purpose of the curfew is to look for car bombs in the Fallujah area.” He added, “Many 4X4 trucks which belong to the Anbar Salvation Council went to Fallujah to support the IPs and Iraqi Army.”
In related news, yesterday, an IED explosion targeted a convoy of a foreign security company in the Kizayza area, north of Basrah. Eyewitnesses said, “The explosion destroyed one truck and killed everyone in it.” After the explosion, clashes occurred between vehicles in the convoy and unidentified gunmen.
In other news, a Fallujah Police source stated, “A car bomb exploded near an IP checkpoint in the Hay Al Shurta area of Fallujah during the Friday Prayer. The source added, “The car bomb explosion killed two people and wounded nine. All of them lived in the houses near Al Abd School which the IPs made as a camp.” The source also said, “The explosion destroyed three houses and a number of stores.”
In related news, a source close to Fallujah’s Mayor said, “Fallujah authorities started a curfew in Fallujah. The curfew will continue indefinitely. The purpose of the curfew is to look for car bombs in the Fallujah area.” He added, “Many 4X4 trucks which belong to the Anbar Salvation Council went to Fallujah to support the IPs and Iraqi Army.”
In related news, yesterday, an IED explosion targeted a convoy of a foreign security company in the Kizayza area, north of Basrah. Eyewitnesses said, “The explosion destroyed one truck and killed everyone in it.” After the explosion, clashes occurred between vehicles in the convoy and unidentified gunmen.
Labels: Anbar Salvation Council, Basrah, car bomb, curfew, Fallujah, IED, Khadra bridge, private security companies
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Clashes with Mahdi Army in Kut and Basrah
Security
(Azzaman Newspaper) - 21 MAY - Yesterday, Wasit Police enforced a curfew in Kut city. The curfew started at 5pm and lasted until this morning. Wasit Police enacted the curfew because of clashes which occurred between the Mahdi Army and US forces in southwestern Kut. A source said, “Yesterday afternoon, violent clashes occurred between the Mahdi Army and US forces with the assistance of the Iraqi Police in southwest Kut.” The security source also said, “These clashes occurred after an IED exploded on a US Patrol. The IED explosion destroyed one Humvee.”
In related news, security sources said, “On Saturday, violent clashes occurred between unidentified gunmen and MOI Special Forces in the Saydia area. The clashes killed one civilian and wounded one person.” The source clarified, “Unidentified gunmen fought with the MOI Special Forces in the Saydia area and the gunmen escaped to an unknown location.”
In Basrah, the Mahdi Army also clashed with British Forces. The clashes destroyed a number of British vehicles and wounded a number of British soldiers. The clashes occurred a few hours after the British Prime Minister left Basrah. The clashes occurred because British forces arrested four people and later, the British camps came under attack.
The violent clashes occurred in the Maqal, Jamiyat Al Munkini, and the Hay Al Bidan areas. Eyewitnesses said, “The gunmen used light and heavy machine guns, as well as RPGs in the clashes that destroyed some British vehicles and wounded many on both sides.” Eyewitnesses confirmed, “Three British soldiers were wounded, two gunmen were also wounded, and two British vehicles were destroyed. In addition, cars and stores were burned and Isama Mosque was destroyed.
In related news, security sources said, “On Saturday, violent clashes occurred between unidentified gunmen and MOI Special Forces in the Saydia area. The clashes killed one civilian and wounded one person.” The source clarified, “Unidentified gunmen fought with the MOI Special Forces in the Saydia area and the gunmen escaped to an unknown location.”
In Basrah, the Mahdi Army also clashed with British Forces. The clashes destroyed a number of British vehicles and wounded a number of British soldiers. The clashes occurred a few hours after the British Prime Minister left Basrah. The clashes occurred because British forces arrested four people and later, the British camps came under attack.
The violent clashes occurred in the Maqal, Jamiyat Al Munkini, and the Hay Al Bidan areas. Eyewitnesses said, “The gunmen used light and heavy machine guns, as well as RPGs in the clashes that destroyed some British vehicles and wounded many on both sides.” Eyewitnesses confirmed, “Three British soldiers were wounded, two gunmen were also wounded, and two British vehicles were destroyed. In addition, cars and stores were burned and Isama Mosque was destroyed.
Labels: British forces, clashes, curfew, Kut, Mahdi Army, U.S. forces, Wasit
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Gunmen blow up Mosul - Arbil bridge, Badoush bridge
Security, Kurdistan
(Voices of Iraq) - Unknown gunmen on Wednesday evening blew up a bridging linking the northern Iraqi city of Mosul to Kurdistan Arbil, a police source said. "Unknown gunmen this evening blew up bridge Aski to the east of Mosul," Brigadier Said Ahmed, Ninewa police media spokesman, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The bridge connects Mosul city to Arbil. Earlier, a police source said unknown gunmen detonated two car bombs on both sides of Badoush bridge in northern Iraq bringing down the bridge with no casualties. "Unknown gunmen blew up Badoush bridge this afternoon after they placed and remotely detonated two car bombs near both sides of the bridge," Brigadier Abul-Karim al-Juburi, head of Ninewa police operations room, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Badoush bridge connects Mosul, capital city of Ninewa province, to districts of Talafar and Rabia near the Iraqi borders with Syria in western Ninewa. Al-Juburi said "the attack left no casualties." The northern Iraqi city of Mosul was placed under curfew on Wednesday after clashes erupted in the Sunni city between armed groups and Iraqi security forces, a police source said.
"Armed clashes broke out this afternoon in a number of Mosul neighborhoods between armed groups and forces from Iraqi army and police," Brigadier Abdul-Karim al-Juburi, head of Ninewa police operations room, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Following the clashes, the local government decided to impose a curfew on the city until further notice, Brigadier al-Juburi said.
Al-Jaburu gave no further details. Local residents told VOI on the phone that today afternoon Mosul had been a scene of clashes between gunmen and security forces while U.S. choppers were flying in the sky of the city as non-stop fire exchange was still heard all over Mosul. Mosul is 402 km north of Baghdad.
The bridge connects Mosul city to Arbil. Earlier, a police source said unknown gunmen detonated two car bombs on both sides of Badoush bridge in northern Iraq bringing down the bridge with no casualties. "Unknown gunmen blew up Badoush bridge this afternoon after they placed and remotely detonated two car bombs near both sides of the bridge," Brigadier Abul-Karim al-Juburi, head of Ninewa police operations room, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Badoush bridge connects Mosul, capital city of Ninewa province, to districts of Talafar and Rabia near the Iraqi borders with Syria in western Ninewa. Al-Juburi said "the attack left no casualties." The northern Iraqi city of Mosul was placed under curfew on Wednesday after clashes erupted in the Sunni city between armed groups and Iraqi security forces, a police source said.
"Armed clashes broke out this afternoon in a number of Mosul neighborhoods between armed groups and forces from Iraqi army and police," Brigadier Abdul-Karim al-Juburi, head of Ninewa police operations room, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Following the clashes, the local government decided to impose a curfew on the city until further notice, Brigadier al-Juburi said.
Al-Jaburu gave no further details. Local residents told VOI on the phone that today afternoon Mosul had been a scene of clashes between gunmen and security forces while U.S. choppers were flying in the sky of the city as non-stop fire exchange was still heard all over Mosul. Mosul is 402 km north of Baghdad.
Al-Bawaba provides further details: An apparently co-ordinated attack by five suicide car bombers and scores of gunmen backed by mortars and bombs killed four policemen in the northern Iraqi city Mosul on Wednesday night and injured 30 other people, including 14 police officers, police said.
The attacks started after 7 p.m., when two suicide bombers detonated car bombs near the police station in Mosul, 360 kilometres northwest of Baghdad. Another two suicide car bombers blew up near the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan in another area of town, said Wathiq al-Hamdani, provincial chief of police.
Another suicide car bomber targeting police was shot by guards before he could reach his target, al-Hamdani said. The series of attacks killed four police and wounded 30 other people, police said. Police fought back, killing 15 gunmen, al-Hamdani said.
The attacks started after 7 p.m., when two suicide bombers detonated car bombs near the police station in Mosul, 360 kilometres northwest of Baghdad. Another two suicide car bombers blew up near the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan in another area of town, said Wathiq al-Hamdani, provincial chief of police.
Another suicide car bomber targeting police was shot by guards before he could reach his target, al-Hamdani said. The series of attacks killed four police and wounded 30 other people, police said. Police fought back, killing 15 gunmen, al-Hamdani said.
Labels: Arbil, Badoush bridge, bridge Aski, Brigadier Abdul-Karim al-Juburi, car bomb, clashes, curfew, gunmen, Iraqi Army, Mosul
Monday, May 07, 2007
Clashes in Najaf between IPs and Mahdi Army
Security
(Asharq Al Awsat Newspaper) - 5 MAY - The Najaf government has implemented a curfew yesterday in the Shiite city after clashes between Mahdi Army members and the IPs, in which two IPs were wounded. Ahmed Duaibil, the governorate’s media chief said, “Two IP members were wounded in the clashes between the IPs and Mahdi Army members in Thawrat Al Ashrin Square in central Najaf. These clashes began after an IP patrol was attacked by the guards of Mahdi Army leader, Sheikh Salah Al Ubaidi. This occurred after the guards rejected the orders of the IPs to prevent them from entering the city without prior permission.
A Sadr Movement source said, “The IPs hit and kicked the Sheikh and opened fired on his car while he was attempting to enter the city.” The security forces are enforcing the curfew which includes harsh security procedures in Najaf, the location of Imam Ali Shrine And which is also the location of the main Shiite cleric’s offices. Duaibil believes that the Mahdi Army members broke the law when they refused to obey the IP’s order. Finally, an IP source said that Najaf Governorate implemented the curfew at the beginning of the clashes.
Labels: Ahmed Duaibil, curfew, Mahdi Army, Najaf, Sheikh Salah Al Ubaidi
Friday, April 20, 2007
Curfew imposed on Tal Afar
Security
(Reuters) - Authorities in the volatile Iraqi town of Tal Afar have imposed an indefinite curfew after militants distributed leaflets threatening to carry out chemical attacks, local officials said on Friday. Dozens of families have fled the religiously mixed town in northwestern Iraq in recent days after militants urged Sunni Muslim residents to leave the area.
Suspected Sunni al Qaeda militants killed 152 people with a truck bomb in Tal Afar last month -- the deadliest single insurgent attack in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. That attack sparked reprisal killings by Shi'ite gunmen and Iraqi police in a Sunni district that left 47 dead. Most of Tal Afar's residents are Shi'ite and Sunni ethnic Turkmen.
"We have imposed a total curfew from April 19th ... to calm people because these statements are not serious. We do not think that these groups have the capability to launch attacks using chemical weapons," said Najim al Jibouri, Tal Afar's mayor. "These groups only want to scare people," he said.
Insurgents across Iraq have recently turned to car and truck bombs that spew out poisonous chlorine gas. When an explosion turns chlorine from solid or liquid form into gas, it causes severe burns when inhaled and can be lethal. Lieutenant Colonel Ali Hadi said most of the families who have fled Tal Afar are Sunnis. Those who have left since the reprisal killings last month have taken shelter in a camp set up for refugees in the nearby city of Mosul.
Suspected Sunni al Qaeda militants killed 152 people with a truck bomb in Tal Afar last month -- the deadliest single insurgent attack in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. That attack sparked reprisal killings by Shi'ite gunmen and Iraqi police in a Sunni district that left 47 dead. Most of Tal Afar's residents are Shi'ite and Sunni ethnic Turkmen.
"We have imposed a total curfew from April 19th ... to calm people because these statements are not serious. We do not think that these groups have the capability to launch attacks using chemical weapons," said Najim al Jibouri, Tal Afar's mayor. "These groups only want to scare people," he said.
Insurgents across Iraq have recently turned to car and truck bombs that spew out poisonous chlorine gas. When an explosion turns chlorine from solid or liquid form into gas, it causes severe burns when inhaled and can be lethal. Lieutenant Colonel Ali Hadi said most of the families who have fled Tal Afar are Sunnis. Those who have left since the reprisal killings last month have taken shelter in a camp set up for refugees in the nearby city of Mosul.
Labels: chemical attacks, curfew, Tal Afar
Mosul placed under curfew
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - The northern Iraqi city of Mosul has been placed under curfew from Thursday at 8:00 pm till further notice, Ninewa TV said. "Ninewa governor Duraid Mohammed Kashmula imposed curfew from Thursday 8:00 pm till further notice," the official Ninewa TV said. The local channel did not give the cause of the curfew but Ninewa police chief General Wathiq Mohammed al-Hamdani told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) "the imposition of the curfew was made to start a new security plan."
Labels: curfew, Duraid Mohammed Kashmula, Mosul
Monday, April 09, 2007
Curfew as al-Sadr supporters demonstrate on anniversary of Saddam's fall
Security
(BBC) - Thousands of supporters of the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr are gathering in the holy city of Najaf to hold mass demonstrations. Mr Sadr has called for a million-strong protest to coincide with the fourth anniversary of Saddam Hussein's fall. The protesters will demand the withdrawal of coalition troops. A 24-hour ban on movement by all vehicles, for fear of car bomb attacks on the anniversary, has been imposed in Baghdad from 0500 (0100 GMT) on Monday.
Moqtada al-Sadr called for the mass protest in a statement on Sunday. "In order to end the occupation, you will go out and demonstrate," the fiery cleric said. Mr Sadr is not expected to attend the protests. He ordered Iraqis not to "walk alongside the occupiers, because they are your archenemy" and to turn all their efforts on US forces. Thousands of Shias responded by heading to Najaf in tightly packed buses and cars, with the Baghdad-Najaf road reportedly crammed.
Some demonstrators shouted slogans: "No, no, no to America... Moqtada, yes, yes, yes," they chanted. Reports said demonstrators had been told to carry the Iraqi flag. "It will be an Iraqi demonstration in the name of all Iraqis," a representative of Mr Sadr told the French news agency AFP. A police spokesman in Najaf, Col Ali Jiryo, said cars were banned from entering the city for a 24-hour period. Buses would transport demonstrators to the city centre, he said.
Senior American officers have described Moqtada al-Sadr as the biggest threat to Iraq's stability, says the BBC's Jonathan Charles in Baghdad. They accuse his Mehdi army militia of carrying out killings, fuelling the sectarian divide between Shias and Sunnis.
Moqtada al-Sadr called for the mass protest in a statement on Sunday. "In order to end the occupation, you will go out and demonstrate," the fiery cleric said. Mr Sadr is not expected to attend the protests. He ordered Iraqis not to "walk alongside the occupiers, because they are your archenemy" and to turn all their efforts on US forces. Thousands of Shias responded by heading to Najaf in tightly packed buses and cars, with the Baghdad-Najaf road reportedly crammed.
Some demonstrators shouted slogans: "No, no, no to America... Moqtada, yes, yes, yes," they chanted. Reports said demonstrators had been told to carry the Iraqi flag. "It will be an Iraqi demonstration in the name of all Iraqis," a representative of Mr Sadr told the French news agency AFP. A police spokesman in Najaf, Col Ali Jiryo, said cars were banned from entering the city for a 24-hour period. Buses would transport demonstrators to the city centre, he said.
Senior American officers have described Moqtada al-Sadr as the biggest threat to Iraq's stability, says the BBC's Jonathan Charles in Baghdad. They accuse his Mehdi army militia of carrying out killings, fuelling the sectarian divide between Shias and Sunnis.
COMMENT: Such a large gathering of Shias in one location will present a prime opportunity for militant groups to strike with suicide bombs. The result of such an event, with tensions running high already could have disastrous results in the form of retaliations. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: curfew, demonstration, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Najaf
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
Baghdad curfew shortened
Security
(AP) - Citing improved security in the capital, the Iraqi government said Tuesday that it was shortening the Baghdad curfew by two hours and would allow citizens to be on the streets until 10 p.m. The easing of the ban on movement around the city coincided with a one-day sharp drop in the number of people known to have been killed in sectarian violence nationwide. According to police and morgue reports, 18 people were killed or found dead Tuesday.
Violence in the capital has declined since the latest U.S.-Iraqi joint security operation began on Feb. 14, though there have been spectacular attacks. But bloodshed has increased elsewhere in Iraq after insurgents and militiamen moved operations out of the capital in advance of the security crackdown. Last week more than 600 people were killed nationwide in sectarian attacks, mainly truck and suicide bombings thought to be the work of Sunni insurgents or al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the spokesman for the Baghdad security operation, said the curfew had been shortened in the capital "because the security situation has improved and people needed more time to go shopping." Since the start of the security operation, the military had enforced an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. ban. Before that, the curfew had been 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Violence in the capital has declined since the latest U.S.-Iraqi joint security operation began on Feb. 14, though there have been spectacular attacks. But bloodshed has increased elsewhere in Iraq after insurgents and militiamen moved operations out of the capital in advance of the security crackdown. Last week more than 600 people were killed nationwide in sectarian attacks, mainly truck and suicide bombings thought to be the work of Sunni insurgents or al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the spokesman for the Baghdad security operation, said the curfew had been shortened in the capital "because the security situation has improved and people needed more time to go shopping." Since the start of the security operation, the military had enforced an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. ban. Before that, the curfew had been 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Labels: Baghdad, Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, curfew
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Reinforcements sent to Hilla as curfew is imposed
Security
(Azzaman) - With U.S. and Iraqi troops focused on placating Baghdad, tensions are rising elsewhere in the country. Baghdad itself is not quiet and the troops have apparently failed to restore law and order to its turbulent streets and districts. But while U.S. and Iraqi commanders say the level of violence has dropped in the city – a claim that cannot be substantiated – attacks were surging in areas surrounding Baghdad.
For example, the authorities in the Province of Babel had to place the city of Hilla, the provincial capital, under strict curfew over the weekend for fear of major attacks. The government has sent more reinforcements to Babel and troops with armored vehicles roam Hilla and other provincial towns while U.S. helicopter gun ships hover around.
In another development, U.S. warplanes attacked a village close to al-Sadr city, west of Baghdad, killing 16 people and injuring many others. Neither the U.S. nor the Iraqi government has commented on the reason that prompted the strike which has infuriated the people in the village of Sabaa, the target of the air raid.
For example, the authorities in the Province of Babel had to place the city of Hilla, the provincial capital, under strict curfew over the weekend for fear of major attacks. The government has sent more reinforcements to Babel and troops with armored vehicles roam Hilla and other provincial towns while U.S. helicopter gun ships hover around.
In another development, U.S. warplanes attacked a village close to al-Sadr city, west of Baghdad, killing 16 people and injuring many others. Neither the U.S. nor the Iraqi government has commented on the reason that prompted the strike which has infuriated the people in the village of Sabaa, the target of the air raid.
Labels: curfew, Hilla, reinforcements
