Iraqi Resistance Report for events of Friday, 4 July 2008. Translated and/or compiled by Muhammad Abu Nasr, member, editorial board, the Free Arab Voice. 

Friday, 4 July 2008.

·        US troops mount attack on home of Jaysh al-Mahdi commander near al-Miqdadiyah Friday, killing two civilians, wounding five, but missing their “target.”

·        In continued preparation for US attack on Iran: Iraqi regime announces arrest of 1,120 people in two-week offensive against Jaysh al-Mahdi in Maysan Province.

·        In continued preparations for American attack on Iran, US forces lead raids, searches, arrests of Jaysh al-Mahdi fighters in al-Kut Thursday night.

·        US troops kill Iraqi civilian, wound two more in shooting incident Thursday evening.

·        In continued preparations for American attack on Iran, Iraqi regime police arrest six anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militiamen in raids, searches in al-Basrah.

Al-Anbar Province.

Hit.

US troops kill Iraqi two contractors near Hit in raid on Friday.

In a dispatch posted at 8:22pm Baghdad time Friday evening, the Yaqen News Agency reported that a force of American airborne troops transported in five helicopters killed two Iraqis and arrested a third in an airborne operation in the al-Muhammadi area to the east of Hit, 180km west of Baghdad, on Friday.

Yaqen reported a source in the al-Anbar Provincial police, who asked not to be identified, as saying that five US helicopters surrounded the home of Ja‘far Muhammad Khalaf in the al-Muhammadi area.  A group of the American troops raided the home where they killed Ja‘far and his cousin Thamir ‘Abdallah.  They then arrested their guest, Salim Su‘ud, a resident of the city of al-Qa’im, which is located near the Iraqi border with Syria.  The precise reason for the US attack was not clear.

The source said that the two who were killed in the raid had worked as contractors in al-Anbar Province.

Baghdad.

Former chief of police for Maysan Province arrested in Baghdad Friday.

In a dispatch posted at 9:45pm Baghdad time Friday night, the Yaqen News Agency reported that Iraqi Interior Ministry forces arrested the former chief of police for Maysan Province in Baghdad, for what it described as his “former violations”

Yaqen reported a source in the Iraqi Interior Ministry as saying that Major General ‘Ali Wahham, the former commander of the Maysan Province police was arrested in Baghdad Friday.

On 19 June the regime launched its local offensive in Maysan Province, in what is believed to be preparation for an American attack on Iran.  Since March, the US-backed Iraqi regime has been actively engaged in an offensive against the anti-occupation Sadr Movement and its armed wing, the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, in Iraq. 

Car bomb kills four civilians near hospital in western Baghdad Thursday evening.

In a dispatch posted on its Arabic website at 9:42am Friday morning Beijing time (4:42am in Baghdad), the Xinhua News Agency reported that a car bomb exploded near the al-Yarmuk Hospital in western Baghdad on Thursday evening.

Xinhua reported a source in the police as saying that the car bomb killed four people and wounded at least eight more in addition to damaging the hospital building and a number of cars.  Security forces surrounded the area and immediately began investigating how a car bomb could have been left near the hospital in an area all approaches to which are closed off by security checkpoints.

Salah ad-Din Province.

Samarra’.

Iraqi security forces report arrest of top local al-Qa‘idah commanders near Samarra’.

In a dispatch posted at 7:09pm Baghdad time Friday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported that a force of Iraqi regime Rapid Deployment troops arrested two men suspected of being top leaders of the al-Qa‘idah organization in the al-Huwaysh area near Samarra’, 120km north of Baghdad.

Yaqen reported Captain Muthanna Shakir, commander of the Rapid Deployment Force in Samarra’, as saying that the two had been responsible for planting bombs and trading in weapons on behalf of al-Qa‘idah.  A car found in the home where the two were living was confiscated in the course of the arrest, which took place without violence.

Diyala Province.

Al-Miqdadiyah.

US troops mount attack on home of Jaysh al-Mahdi commander near al-Miqdadiyah Friday, killing two civilians, wounding five, but missing their “target.”

In a dispatch posted at 6:35pm Baghdad time Friday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported that US troops carried out an airborne attack on the home of a leader of the anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militia near al-Miqdadiyah, 85km northeast of Baghdad on Friday.

Yaqen reported a source in the Iraqi regime in Ba‘qubah who asked to remain anonymous as saying that the Americans carried out an airborne landing on the house of a commander of the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia in the an-Nasim Village area near al-Miqdadiyah.  The Americans killed two members of the family resident in the house and wounded five more family members, all related to the Jaysh al-Mahdi commander, who was not at home at the time of the American assault.

The source said that the Americans threw a number of attack grenades into the house before storming in, thereby killing and wounding the seven family members, none of whom was the apparent target of the raid.

The direct engagement of US forces in the attack near al-Miqdadiyah appeared to underline the importance attached by Washington to the drive against the Iranian-aligned political movement and its militia.

Since March, the US-backed Iraqi regime has been actively engaged in an offensive against the anti-occupation Sadr Movement and its armed wing, the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, in Iraq, in what is believed to be preparation for an American attack on Iran. 

Karbala’ Province.

Karbala’.

Pictures surface of Iraqi regime massacre of Jaysh al-Mahdi fighters in Karbala’ last year.

In a dispatch posted at 10:30am Baghdad time Friday morning, the Yaqen News Agency reported that the al-Jazeera satellite TV station had broadcast pictures showing individuals executed on a public square in Karbala’ Province south of Baghdad last year.  It is believed, Yaqen reported, that the victims were members of the anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi.

Yaqen reported that the National Alliance for Tribes of Iraq had demanded an investigation of the slaughter.

The General Secretary of the Alliance, Shaykh ‘Isam Al Bu Hilalah, said that the executions took place last year after a number of armed men turned themselves in voluntarily in compliance with demands by the Iraqi regime and after their ammunition had been exhausted.

Bu Hilalah went on to say that the government agencies immediately ordered their execution on the main street in the al-‘Askari neighborhood of the city in full view of local residents.  Bu Hilalah demanded that an investigation be started immediately of what he called a “massacre” committed by the Iraqi regime’s security forces.

For many months the US and its Iraqi regime allies have battled on and off with the anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi.  Since March this year, the US-backed Iraqi regime has been actively engaged in an continuous offensive against the anti-occupation Sadr Movement and its armed wing, the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, in what is believed to be preparation for an American attack on Iran.

Maysan Province.

Al-‘Amarah.

In continued preparation for US attack on Iran: Iraqi regime announces arrest of 1,120 people in two-week offensive against Jaysh al-Mahdi in Maysan Province.

In a dispatch posted at 12:05pm Baghdad time midday Friday, the Yaqen News Agency reported that a source in the Iraqi Interior Ministry had announced on Friday that the campaign launched by the US and Iraqi regime forces against the anti-occupation Sadr Movement and its armed wing, the Jaysh al-Mahdi, in Maysan Province had resulted in the arrest of 1,120 people in the past two weeks, most of them members of the Jaysh al-Mahdi.

Yaqen reported the source as saying that 450 of the individuals had turned themselves in and that just yesterday (Thursday) regime forces had captured 360 members of the anti-occupation groups, with another 250 turning themselves in.

The source said that the regime forces were now concentrating on remote areas near the border with Iran in their continued crack down on the anti-occupation militias that sympathize with Iran.

On 19 June the regime launched its local offensive in Maysan Province,  in what is believed to be preparation for an American attack on Iran.  Since March, the US-backed Iraqi regime has been actively engaged in an offensive against the anti-occupation Sadr Movement and its armed wing, the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, in Iraq. 

Wasit Province.

Al-Kut.

In continued preparations for American attack on Iran, US forces lead raids, searches, arrests of Jaysh al-Mahdi fighters in al-Kut Thursday night.

In a dispatch posted at 11:15am Baghdad time Friday morning, the Yaqen News Agency reported that a joint force of Iraqi regime troops and American occupation forces carried out raids and arrests in the ash-Shuhada’ neighborhood of western al-Kut, 180km southeast of Baghdad on Thursday evening.

Yaqen reported a source in the Wasit provincial government as saying that the Americans and their Iraqi allies arrested four members of the anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militia in the course of the offensive.  Two of the arrested men were brothers living in the same house.  The source said that the raids were carried out pursuant to arrest warrants issued by a judge in the US-installed regime in al-Kut.

Since March, the US-backed Iraqi regime has been actively engaged in an offensive against the anti-occupation Sadr Movement and its armed wing, the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, in Iraq, in what is believed to be preparation for an American attack on Iran.

Al-Basrah Province.

Al-Basrah.

US troops kill Iraqi civilian, wound two more in shooting incident Thursday evening.

In a dispatch posted at 4:05pm Baghdad time Friday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported that one Iraqi civilian was killed and two more wounded when US troops opened fire on them on the highway west of al-Basrah on Thursday evening.

Yaqen reported a source in the US military as claiming that a vehicle carrying three civilians approached a US column on the highway between al-Basrah and an-Nasiriyah, an act that the Americans regarded automatically as hostile and to which they responded by shooting what they referred to as “warning shots” at the car.

The gunfire killed one of the people in the car and wounded the other two, the American source said, adding that the injured men were taken to a military hospital for treatment.  The US spokesman said that the American forces were investigating the incident.

In continued preparations for American attack on Iran, Iraqi regime police arrest six anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militiamen in raids, searches in al-Basrah.

In a dispatch posted on its Arabic website at am Friday morning Beijing time, the Xinhua News Agency reported that Iraqi government police arrested six members of the anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militia in various parts of al-Basrah on Friday.

Xinhua reported a source in the al-Basrah Province police as saying that in the course of their raids, the police also confiscated thirty-five heavy 120mm mortar shells of Iranian manufacture in the Shatt al-‘Arab area to the east of al-Basrah city.

The Yaqen news agency on Thursday had quoted Iraqi regime authorities as making the same claims about arresting six Jaysh al-Mahdi men and seizing 35 mortar shells in the course of raids on Thursday.

Since March, the US-backed Iraqi regime has been actively engaged in an offensive against the anti-occupation Sadr Movement and its armed wing, the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, in Iraq, in what is believed to be preparation for an American attack on Iran.

Sources:

http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=26060&24c0fa768c584dfbfe29da9826e4a0e3

http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=26059&ce551a0d10e08935d912d59c0e935296

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