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Civil war looms as Sunni siege enters second day |
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Overview: In a mixed, Sunni-Shiite, area of Baghdad, dominated by Sunni's, the was a battle, starting Monday, 17, at midnight. It involved:
1. Shiite militia
2. Government troops (on the side of the Shiite militia)
3. Sunni insurgents, some of whom were local residents
4. U.S. Military
There were 50 or more insurgents, and probably more Shiite militia and troops. The US Military stayed on the sidelines at first and then joined government troops.
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A report by a resident of the Sunni Adhamiya district:
"I have seen these members of the Badr militia and Mehdi Army wearing Iraqi Police (IP) uniforms and using IP pick-up trucks roaming our streets," said Abu Aziz, "They tried to reach our sacred Abu Hanifa mosque, but they were stopped before they could do so, thanks to god. Some were just wearing civilian clothes with black face masks, others were definitely commandos from the ministry of interior." —IPS, April 19.
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Civil war looms as Sunni siege enters second day
By Omar al-Ibadi in Baghdad, April 19, 2006
(Condensed by zFacts)
SNIPERS held rooftop positions as masked insurgents said they were gearing up for another street battle with pro-Government Shiite militiamen in Baghdad's Adhamiya district yesterday.
The Sunni stronghold is still feeling ripples from clashes on Monday night that appeared to be the closest yet to all-out sectarian fighting.
A US military spokesman said 50 insurgents attacked Iraqi forces on Monday night in a seven-hour battle in which five insurgents were killed and an Iraqi soldier was wounded. Fighting was so fierce that US reinforcements were brought in to the area, home to some of Iraq's most hardcore Sunni guerillas.
A Sunni political group, the Iraqi Islamic Party, on Monday called for calm, saying a "human disaster might occur". It said the clashes were between Iraqi Government forces and residents of Adhamiya, implying that the uniformed forces were the aggressors. The origins of the violent confrontation remained murky.
A guard at Abu Hanifa Mosque, who gave his name as Abu Aus, said in a telephone interview that fighting erupted about midnight [Monday] when gunmen clashed with Iraqi soldiers at Al Sabah library nearby. Police commandos, long suspected of operating Shiite death squads, then entered the area and joined forces with the Iraqi soldiers. He said at least five civilians were killed and 14 injured, but there was no official confirmation of this.
A US military spokesman said on Monday that US troops had been active in Adhamiya but would not give details. An Iraqi army commander said on state-run television that Iraqi soldiers had fought insurgents in the streets.
Reuters, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times
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http://zfacts.com/p/334.html | 01/18/12 07:26 GMT
Modified: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 23:24:36 GMT
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