.10 Killed, 20 Hurt in Iraq Mosque Bombing
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide bomber struck a Shiite mosque during prayers Friday in Baghdad, killing at least 10 people and wounding 20, as violence persisted in the capital despite a massive security operation aimed at restoring order.
Police Lt. Thaer Mahmoud said the attacker blew himself up at the Buratha mosque in northern Baghdad.
Mahmoud said the bomber was wearing an explosives belt, but Jalal Eddin al-Sagheer, the preacher at the mosque and one of the country's leading politicians, said the explosives were inside a worshipper's shoes.
He said the bomber blew himself up when confronted by the guards as they began searching worshippers with shoes beside them inside the mosque, al-Sagheer said.
The streets of Baghdad were largely empty of cars due to a four-hour driving ban supposed to prevent violence during traditional Islamic prayers held every Friday.
Earlier Iraqi authorities launched a massive security operation that included 75,000 troops fanning out on the streets of Baghdad, an extended curfew from 8.30 p.m. until dawn and a weapons ban.
It was the second time the mosque has been hit in just over two months. The Buratha mosque also was attacked during Friday prayers on April 7, when four suicide bombers, including a woman, set off their explosives, killing at least 85 worshippers as they left the mosque after the main weekly religious service.
The U.S. military blamed that attack on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida in Iraq leader who was killed last week in a U.S. airstrike. The terror group issued a statement Tuesday vowing to avenge al-Zarqawi's death and threatening horrific attacks "in the coming days."
The U.S has said Abu Ayyub al-Masri, an Egyptian with ties to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, has taken over from al-Zarqawi as head of al-Qaida in Iraq. Al-Masri apparently is the man the terrorist group identified in a Web posting last week as its new leader Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, a nom de guerre, said Caldwell.
The military showed a picture of al-Masri who was named in a most-wanted list issued in February 2005 by the U.S. command and who now has a $200,000 bounty on his head wearing a traditional white Arab headdress.
The violence came a day after Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie announced that valuable information had been seized in raids and declared that al-Zarqawi's death was "the beginning of the end of al-Qaida in Iraq."
The U.S. military also said American and Iraqi forces have killed 104 insurgents in 452 raids nationwide since the death of the terror leader.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said sweeps across Iraq since al-Zarqawi's death led to 28 significant arms caches. He said the raids included 255 joint operations and 143 by Iraqi forces alone.
A key terror leader linked to the deaths of at least seven coalition soldiers in roadside bombs also was captured in Karbala, the U.S. military said Friday.
The military said Iraqi soldiers, assisted by coalition advisers, conducted an early morning ground assault raid Thursday in the Shiite holy city and captured "a high-ranking terrorist network commander without firing a shot."
The suspect was identified by the military as Sheik Aqeel. "Aqeel commands a Karbala terrorist network and is wanted for assassinating Iraqi citizens and planning and ordering attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces," the military said in a statement.
The security forces also captured another terrorist in Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, and seized a substantial weapons cache, the military said, adding that no Iraqi or coalition forces were killed or wounded during the operation.
The announcement came a day after the 40-member local council in Karbala suspended its operations and demanded an apology Thursday after police said U.S. forces raided the house of the council leader Aqil al-Zubeidi, a member of the Shiite Fadila Party, and arrested him and two other council members. Council spokesman Ghalib al-Daimi denied that al-Zubeidi had any links to terrorism.
A top government official also confirmed Friday that Iraq has an agreement to take over security responsibilities from foreign forces in southern Iraq this month.
Deputy Prime Minister Salam Zikam Ali al-Zubaie was responding to a Japanese news report that British, Australian and Japanese troops will transfer security responsibilities in southern Iraq to Iraqi authorities next week, and soon withdraw from the area.
"There is an agreement to take over the security responsibilities from the British, Australian and Japanese forces in southern Iraq during this month," al-Zubaie said. "We hope that the Iraqi security forces will live up to their duties there. It is the dream of all Iraqis that our forces will handle security issues all over Iraq."
Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki announced shortly after taking office on May 20 that Iraqi security forces will start assuming full responsibility for some provinces and cities this month, beginning an 18 month process leading to the eventual withdrawal of all coalition forces.
ABC
Police Lt. Thaer Mahmoud said the attacker blew himself up at the Buratha mosque in northern Baghdad.
Mahmoud said the bomber was wearing an explosives belt, but Jalal Eddin al-Sagheer, the preacher at the mosque and one of the country's leading politicians, said the explosives were inside a worshipper's shoes.
He said the bomber blew himself up when confronted by the guards as they began searching worshippers with shoes beside them inside the mosque, al-Sagheer said.
The streets of Baghdad were largely empty of cars due to a four-hour driving ban supposed to prevent violence during traditional Islamic prayers held every Friday.
Earlier Iraqi authorities launched a massive security operation that included 75,000 troops fanning out on the streets of Baghdad, an extended curfew from 8.30 p.m. until dawn and a weapons ban.
It was the second time the mosque has been hit in just over two months. The Buratha mosque also was attacked during Friday prayers on April 7, when four suicide bombers, including a woman, set off their explosives, killing at least 85 worshippers as they left the mosque after the main weekly religious service.
The U.S. military blamed that attack on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida in Iraq leader who was killed last week in a U.S. airstrike. The terror group issued a statement Tuesday vowing to avenge al-Zarqawi's death and threatening horrific attacks "in the coming days."
The U.S has said Abu Ayyub al-Masri, an Egyptian with ties to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, has taken over from al-Zarqawi as head of al-Qaida in Iraq. Al-Masri apparently is the man the terrorist group identified in a Web posting last week as its new leader Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, a nom de guerre, said Caldwell.
The military showed a picture of al-Masri who was named in a most-wanted list issued in February 2005 by the U.S. command and who now has a $200,000 bounty on his head wearing a traditional white Arab headdress.
The violence came a day after Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie announced that valuable information had been seized in raids and declared that al-Zarqawi's death was "the beginning of the end of al-Qaida in Iraq."
The U.S. military also said American and Iraqi forces have killed 104 insurgents in 452 raids nationwide since the death of the terror leader.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said sweeps across Iraq since al-Zarqawi's death led to 28 significant arms caches. He said the raids included 255 joint operations and 143 by Iraqi forces alone.
A key terror leader linked to the deaths of at least seven coalition soldiers in roadside bombs also was captured in Karbala, the U.S. military said Friday.
The military said Iraqi soldiers, assisted by coalition advisers, conducted an early morning ground assault raid Thursday in the Shiite holy city and captured "a high-ranking terrorist network commander without firing a shot."
The suspect was identified by the military as Sheik Aqeel. "Aqeel commands a Karbala terrorist network and is wanted for assassinating Iraqi citizens and planning and ordering attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces," the military said in a statement.
The security forces also captured another terrorist in Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, and seized a substantial weapons cache, the military said, adding that no Iraqi or coalition forces were killed or wounded during the operation.
The announcement came a day after the 40-member local council in Karbala suspended its operations and demanded an apology Thursday after police said U.S. forces raided the house of the council leader Aqil al-Zubeidi, a member of the Shiite Fadila Party, and arrested him and two other council members. Council spokesman Ghalib al-Daimi denied that al-Zubeidi had any links to terrorism.
A top government official also confirmed Friday that Iraq has an agreement to take over security responsibilities from foreign forces in southern Iraq this month.
Deputy Prime Minister Salam Zikam Ali al-Zubaie was responding to a Japanese news report that British, Australian and Japanese troops will transfer security responsibilities in southern Iraq to Iraqi authorities next week, and soon withdraw from the area.
"There is an agreement to take over the security responsibilities from the British, Australian and Japanese forces in southern Iraq during this month," al-Zubaie said. "We hope that the Iraqi security forces will live up to their duties there. It is the dream of all Iraqis that our forces will handle security issues all over Iraq."
Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki announced shortly after taking office on May 20 that Iraqi security forces will start assuming full responsibility for some provinces and cities this month, beginning an 18 month process leading to the eventual withdrawal of all coalition forces.
ABC
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