 Sadr city residents seen through a hole in a wall of a house that was damaged during an Iraqi and U.S. Army joint forces raid and air strike Saturday, Dec.16, 2006.
Saturday's Main Security Stories:- Fallujah: Clashes erupted on Saturday between the U.S. forces and unknown gunmen after an explosive device blast damaged a Hummer within a U.S. vehicle patrol in southern Fallujah, 45 km west of Baghdad, an eyewitness said.
- Baaquba: The Iraqi police, backed by the U.S. forces, arrested in a search campaign eight suspects, including two Egyptians, in western and northern Baaquba, 60 km northeast of Baghdad, a police source said on Saturday.
- Baghdad: An green zone government army special force, backed by U.S. troops, arrested three men suspected of attacking Iraqi security forces in a raid on a mosque in Baghdad.
- Hilla: Two people, including a soldier, were killed when two explosive charges went off near an Iraqi army checkpoint on a highway northeast of Hilla, 110 km south of Baghdad, the Iraqi police said.
What's Getting The Most Attention Saturday Night:Kurdistan School Examinations: Aswat al Iraq: Sheikh Hussein Sheikh Mustafa, Director-General of Education Sulaymaniyah announced a new examination grading system for schoolchildren. The system is is similar to that found in Iraqi universities. URI
Kurdistan Alliance Leader calls for Dissolution of Militias : Aswat al Iraq: Fouad Massoum called for militias to to be dissolved and an end to double standards in politics [he also wants a pony - mfi] URI:
Mosul Arrests: Aswat al Iraq: Coalition forces say they have arrested three members of an armed cell (including the leader) responsible for attacks against green zone government forces in the city. The statement says the leader is responsible for the deaths of several Iraqi soldiers loyal to the green zone government. URI :
Basra Curfew (Aftermath of Assassination of Tribal Leader): Aswat al Iraq: Ali wrote about the assassination of Sheikh Mohsen Alkanaan yesterday. Today's events are part of the aftermath of the sheikh's murder. Following his murder a large number of tribesmen went round the city shooting into the air and vowing vengeance. Aswat al Iraq have almost identical reports in English and Arabic on the curfew imposed today as a precautionary measure. The text immediately below is from their English language service. (Note how the spokesman is very careful not to identify the tribe by name.) The interesting thing about this story is that there's an update. Identical in all respects to what you read below in which the police hastily deny that there's a curfew at all.- mfi:
Curfew imposed in Basra By Malik Saadon Basra, Dec 16, (VOI) -An indefinite curfew was imposed in the southern Iraqi city of Basra as announced by police vehicles roaming the city, according to eyewitnesses. "Armoured vehicles of the Iraqi army cordoned the Basra governor headquarters," an eyewitness from Basra's main city of al-Ashar told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Meanwhile, a member of the Basra province council who asked not to be named told VOI that these were "precautionary measures in case some clan embark on security-destabilising actions." The source did not name the clan. On Friday, unidentified gunmen killed a tribal chief of the Bani Tamim clan and two escorts in an armed attack in downtown al-Cornish street. Following the attack, scores of vehicles boarded by gunmen from Bani Tamim clan wandered about the city shooting in the air and threatening the killers of their chief. Update: The police in Basra have denied that a curfew exists. Bani Tamim is one of the largest and oldest clans in Basra. It dates back to the period preceding the Islamic conquest of Iraq. URI (Arabic): URI (English): URI (Arabic) to update in which police deny curfew exists.
Kirkuk Two Bodies Found: Aswat al Iraq: Police have found two bodies in the Shwan area of northern Kirkuk. The victims were blindfolded, handcuffed, had been tortured, and shot repeatedly. URI :
Fallujah: American Headquarters Shelled (Mortars): Aswat al Iraq: Headline says it all. It's so regular an occurrence it's surprising they even report it - mfi. URI
Fallujah: American Patrol Attacked: Aswat al Iraq: At least two civilians were killed in crossfire between an American patrol and resistance fighters in the centre of Fallujah. The gunfight lasted about twenty minutes. The attackers used ordinary light weapons and RPGs. The report says there were American casualties as well. URI :
Hilla: Babil: Child Killed: Aswat al Iraq: 4 year old girl killed by mortar fire. The attack was on Hattin about 50km north of Hilla. URI:
Mosul: Aswat al Iraq: Four civilians were wounded when two bombs targeting an American patrol in Mosul. Two people were killed and and a third wounded in separate attacks in the city. URI:
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