Iraqi Resistance Report for events of Saturday, 25 February 2006.  Translated and/or compiled by Muhammad Abu Nasr, member, editorial board, the Free Arab Voice.

Saturday, 25 February 2006.

·       Resistance sharpshooter reportedly kills US soldier in Hit.

·       Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars and Shi‘i Muqtada as-Sadr movement denounce sectarian attacks, blame US for sectarian violence, demand American withdrawal.

·       Muqtada as-Sadr: Sadr forces not involved in attacks on Sunnis; Jaysh al-Mahdi to protect Sunni mosques from attacks.

·       Observers see continuation of US effort to ignite sectarian conflict continues as mysterious car bomb kills or wounds dozens of Shi‘i civilians in holy city of Karbala’.

Al-Anbar Province.

Al-Fallujah.

US, puppet troops head to al-Fallujah to prevent Resistance fighters from going to Baghdad to confront puppet regime forces.

In a bulletin posted at 8:10pm Mecca time Saturday night, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that a short while before the 2^nd Armored Battallion of the Iraqi puppet army together with a force of US occupation troops set off towards al-Fallujah in an attempt to prevent Iraqi Resistance fighters from heading from that city towards Baghdad to battle the puppet regime’s Badr Brigades and “Interior Ministry” troops intent on sparking a sectarian civil war in the country. 

The Abu Ghurayb and al-Karmah correspondents for Mafkarat al-Islam reported that the joint US-Iraqi puppet armored force had approached the city and were taking up positions around it.

The al-Fallujah correspondent reported however, that when local people in al-Fallujah heard about this latest deployment and its mission, they laughed and said that it was coming “very late” to accomplish its announced purpose, if that was indeed to prevent fighters from al-Fallujah getting to Baghdad.

Al-Khalidiyah.

Resistance bombards US-Iraqi puppet army encampment in homes seized from villagers near al-Khalidiyah.

In a dispatch posted at 5:20pm Mecca time Saturday afternoon, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that Iraqi Resistance forces fired ten 82mm mortar rounds into the joint US-Iraqi puppet army camps set up in the area of Jazirat al-Khalidiyah.

The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported local residents as saying that the American and Iraqi puppet army forces encamped in houses seized from the local people who were driven out of their villages were struck by a Resistance mortar barrage that sent plumes of smoke rising into the sky.

Hit.

Resistance sharpshooter reportedly kills US soldier in Hit.

In a dispatch posted at 11:40am Mecca time Saturday morning, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that an Iraqi Resistance marksman had shot and killed a US soldier in the western Iraqi city of Hit.

The Hit correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported eyewitnesses in the neighborhood of al-‘Ummal in the middle of the city as saying that a US soldier who was on duty keeping watch at the gate of the joint US-Iraqi puppet army headquarters set up in what was formerly the local Youth Center was struck by an Iraqi Resistance sharpshooter’s bullet and killed instantly.

Al-Habbaniyah.

Resistance pounds US as-Saqr Airbase in al-Habbaniyah with six mortar rounds.

In a dispatch posted at 10:40am Mecca time Saturday morning, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that Iraqi Resistance forces fired six mortar shells from two different directions into the US as-Saqr Air Base in al-Habbaniyah at dawn Saturday.

The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported eyewitnesses in al-Habbaniyah as saying that the barrage sent plumes of smoke rising into the sky.

Ar-Ramadi.

Resistance bomb blasts US armored vehicle west of ar-Ramadi.

In a dispatch posted at 10:10am Mecca time Saturday morning, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that an Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a US military column on the main road near the al-Madiq area west of ar-Ramadi, some 110km west of Baghdad.

The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported residents of al-Madiq who witnessed the attack as saying that the bomb disabled one US armored vehicle killing or wounding the four Americans aboard it.

Abu Ghurayb.

Iraqi Resistance intercepts joint attack force of pro-American Badr Brigade, puppet “Shock Troops” in eastern Abu Ghurayb.

In a dispatch posted at 1:50pm Mecca time Saturday afternoon, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that fierce fighting broke out between Iraqi Resistance forces and pro-American Badr Brigade gunmen backed up by puppet “Interior Ministry Shock Troops(Maghawir)”east of Abu Ghurayb, which is located some 30km west of Baghdad.

The Abu Ghurayb correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported local eyewitnesses as saying that the fighting broke out when pro-American Badr Brigade gunmen and puppet “Shock Troops” tried to storm into Abu Ghurayb along side streets east of the town.  Iraqi Resistance fighters and local armed residents intercepted them igniting a fierce firefight in which light and medium weapons were used.  About 12 puppet “Shock Troops” and Badr Brigade gunmen were killed or wounded and two Resistance fighters died.  In the end, witnesses said, the pro-American forces retreated from the scene.

Baghdad.

Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars and Shi ‘ Muqtada as-Sadr movement denounce sectarian attacks, blame US for sectarian violence, demand American withdrawal.

In an effort to head off efforts believed sparked by the US occupation to spark a sectarian civil war in Iraq, representatives of the Association of Muslim Scholars of Iraq, the supreme Sunni religious authority in the country, and the supporters of Shi‘i religious leader Muqtada as-Sadr held talks in the Abu Hanifah an-Nu‘man Mosque in Baghdad.

The religious leaders from both Sunni and Shi‘i communities issued a statement in which they condemned sectarian attacks on mosques of either side as “terrorist acts,” according to a statement issued by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Hadi ad-Darraji, a representative of Muqtada as-Sadr, as reported by al-Jazeera satellite TV.

Ad-Darraji said that the conferees held the American occupation responsible for what is now taking place and demanded an immediate withdrawal from Iraq or at least a timetable for a pullout of its forces.

Muqtada as-Sadr: Sadr forces not involved in attacks on Sunnis; Jaysh al-Mahdi militia forces to protect Sunni mosques from attacks.

Al-Jazeera reported that Muqtada as-Sadr had ordered his followers not to wear the black clothing which has become the as-Sadr uniform “so that people with weak minds might not exploit them.”

Earlier Muqtada as-Sadr had announced that his forces had not been carrying out attacks on Sunni mosques or Sunni individuals and that reports of Jaysh al-Mahdi fighters being involved in such sectarian actions indicated that other forces were donning the black clothing associated with the Sadr movement and attempting to drive a wedge between the Sunni community and the movement.

Muqtada as-Sadr ordered his Jaysh al-Mahdi forces to provide protection for Sunni mosques against possible attacks of the sort being carried out by the puppet regime’s “Interior Ministry Shock Troops (Maghawir)” and the Badr Brigades.

Mortar shells target Abu Hanifah an-Nu‘man Mosque.

In a dispatch posted at 10:25am Mecca time Saturday morning, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that a short while earlier Shi‘i sectarians had fired two mortar shells at the Mosque of the Sunni Imam Abu Hanifah an-Nu‘man in the middle of Baghdad.

The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported eyewitnesses as saying that the shells landed in the back courtyard of the mosque inflicting no damage or casualties.

Salah ad-Din Province.

At-Tarimiyah.

Resistance bomb blasts US Humvee north of at-Tarimiyah.

In a dispatch posted at 11:20am Mecca time Saturday morning, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that an Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a US military patrol on a farm road north of the town of at-Tarimiyah, some 30km north of Baghdad.

The at-Tarimiyah correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported reported eyewitnesses as saying that the bomb, which had been planted by the side of a farm road, disabled one Humvee and killed or wounded three US troops who were aboard it.

Samarra’.

Resistance attack strikes Iraqi puppet army column near Samarra’.

In a dispatch posted at 10:20am Mecca time Saturday morning, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that Iraqi Resistance forces attacked an Iraqi puppet army column at the ath-Tharthar junction near Samarra’.

The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported motorists who were coming from the area as saying that they had seen an Iraqi puppet army troop transport on fire with a military ambulance next to it.  They did not know the number of Iraqi troops killed or wounded in the attack, or what kind of attack it was.

Diyala Province.

An-Nahrawan.

Resistance bomb blasts puppet “National Guard” patrol in an-Nahrawan.

In a dispatch posted at 12:10pm Mecca time midday Saturday, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that an Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a puppet “Iraqi National Guard” patrol on the main road near the an-Nahrawan area, 25km southeast of Baghdad.

The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported eyewitnesses in an-Nahrawan as saying that the bomb, planted by the side of the road to al-Miqdadiyah destroyed one Iraqi puppet army troop transport, killing four puppet troops and wounding two more of them.

Ta’mim Province.

Kirkuk.

Resistance bomb blasts puppet army column in southeast Kirkuk.

In a dispatch posted at 4:40pm Mecca time Saturday afternoon, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that an Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by an Iraqi puppet army column on the rod to the at-Tuz area southeast of Kirkuk.

The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported that the bomb destroyed a puppet army troop transport, killing one Iraqi puppet soldier and severely wounding four more of them.

Ninwa Province.

Mosul.

Resistance bomb blasts US Humvee in Mosul’s al-Wahdah district.

In a dispatch posted at 4:10pm Mecca time Saturday afternoon, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that an Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a US military column near the al-Wahdah neighborhood on the main road to the city of Kirkuk, southeast of Mosul.

The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported eyewitnesses in al-Wahdah as saying that the bomb went off as a column of several American armored vehicles and Humvees was driving past.  The blast disabled one Humvee, killing or wounding the members of its four-man crew.

Resistance bombards US-occupied al-Ghazlaniyah base in Mosul.

In a dispatch posted at 10:30am Mecca time Saturday morning, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that Iraqi Resistance forces fired three medium-range Katyusha rockets into the US military headquarters set up in the al-Ghazlaniyah base in the middle of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

The Mosul correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported local eyewitnesses as saying that the bombardment set off explosions and sent plumes of smoke rising into the sky from within the American-occupied compound.

Karbala’ Province.

Karbala’.

Observers see continuation of US effort to ignite sectarian conflict continues as mysterious car bomb kills or wounds dozens of Shi‘i civilians in holy city of Karbala’.

In a dispatch posted at 12:18pm Mecca time midday Saturday, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that a suspicious car bomb exploded by a gathering of Shi‘ah in the Shi‘i holy city of Karbala’ in southern Iraq.

The Karbala’ correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported that more than 50 people were killed or wounded in the blast by initial count.

The Karbala’ attack follows the devastating bombing attack on the Shi‘i shrine of the Imam ‘Ali al-Hadi in Samarra’ on Wednesday, 22 February that is widely viewed as marking the beginning of the latest US effort to rescue its failing fortunes in Iraq by sparking a sectarian civil war.

Sources:

http://www.alarabiya.net/Articles/2006/02/23/21410.htm

http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4F048D30-AAD9-4E5D-8BDC-73FC70F70E3A.htm

http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/2756DAD6-897F-4BEC-B187-87E8D45A71D3.htm

http://www.qudspress.com/data/aspx/d48/17508.aspx

http://www.qudspress.com/data/aspx/d49/17509.aspx

http://www.qudspress.com/data/aspx/d47/17507.aspx

http://www.qudspress.com/data/aspx/d40/17500.aspx

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101074

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101073

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101060

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101058

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101053

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101048

http://www.tishreen.info/___default.asp?FileName=816567550200602250108126

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101037

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101036

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101028

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101027

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101023

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101021

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101019

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101015

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101008

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101012

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101010

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101007

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101006

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101005

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101004

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101003

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=101002