IRAQ: Fresh attacks in Baghdad as Iraqi forces detain 20 suspects northeast of the capital

Bombs kill at least one and injure scores in the latest wave of attacks despite new security operations across Iraq aimed at stabilising the country. Six people were wounded when a mortar round landed in a commercial intersection in eastern Baghdad on Sunday (September 9), police sources said. They said that four traffic policemen were wounded in the mortar attack near Maysaloon Square. The attack caused slight structural damage to a number of shops. Meanwhile, a bomb went off near Shaab Stadium in central Baghdad on Sunday, killing one civilian and wounding two others, police said. They said that the bomb was targeting a passing U.S. convoy but it missed its target and hit civilian cars. At least three cars were damaged in the blast. The bombs were a reminder of Iraq's security headaches despite a reduction in violence following Bush's decision early this year to send 30,000 additional troops to Iraq. Northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi army soldiers discovered a bomb factory and detained 20 suspects during search-and-arrest operations in Diyala province on Saturday (September 8), Iraqi military sources said. They said that soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division conducted the search in support of Task Force Operation Lightning Hammer II to root out al Qaeda members in Khalis town, 20 km north of Baquba. The operation resulted in the arrest of 20 suspects and the discovery of a factory to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs), detonation devices and mortars and Katyousha launchers. U.S. forces are launching a military offensive in Diyala province, one of the largest offensives launched by the U.S. military since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and involves about 10,000 troops and air support. Baquba is an al Qaeda stronghold that has also become a sanctuary for militants escaping a four-month-old security crackdown in Baghdad.

ITN Source | September 9, 2007

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