Suicide bombers attack Iraq militia, kill over 44

18 Jul 2010 08:46:01 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Sunni 'Sahwa' were lining up for wages

* Second attack on Sahwa in western Iraq

* Attacks occurred amid political vacuum

(Adds second attack, militia leader comment)

By Muhanad Mohammed

BAGHDAD, July 18 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber attacked government-backed Sunni militia on Sunday as they lined up to be paid on Baghdad's southwestern outskirts, killing at least 39 and wounding 41, Iraqi security sources said.

In a second attack, a suicide bomber killed four and wounded six at a meeting of local Sunni militia leaders in western Iraq, near the Syrian border, police in Anbar province said.

The blast outside an Iraqi military base in the Sunni district of Radwaniya and the attack in Qaim in Anbar occurred as political deadlock continued following a March election that produced no outright winner and as yet no new government.

Sunni Islamist insurgents linked to al Qaeda have sought to exploit the political vacuum created by a failure of Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish factions to agree on a coalition government, and have carried out a series of attacks since the vote.

In Sunday's bloodiest blast, the suicide bomber blew himself up among "Sahwa" militiamen, Sunni fighters who once allied with al Qaeda but turned on the militant group in 2006/07, helping U.S. forces turn the tide in the war.

"There were more than 85 people lined up in three lines at the main gate of the military base to receive salaries when a person approached us. When one of the soldiers tried to stop him, he blew himself up," a survivor, 20-year-old Tayseer Mehsen, said at Mahmudiya hospital.

"I lost consciousness and woke up to find myself in hospital."

All of the dead were Sahwa, while two soldiers numbered among the wounded, an Interior Ministry source said. Another security source said two of the dead were military officers.

Police put the number of dead at 39, but the Interior Ministry source said 43 had died. Conflicting death tolls are common in the chaos after an explosion.

'NO STRANGERS AMONG US'

Local militia leader Mohammed al-Anbari said it was possible the attacker came from within Sahwa ranks. "There were no strangers among us," he said. There have been a series of attacks against Sahwa leaders in Sunni areas around Baghdad in recent months, many attributed to acts of revenge by former fellow insurgents, or al Qaeda. Some have been blamed on long-running blood feuds between families.

The sectarian war between once dominant Sunnis and majority Shi'ites that kicked off after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion has largely subsided but a Sunni Islamist insurgency persists.

The U.S. military has increasingly taken a backseat role since pulling out of Iraqi urban centres in June last year and U.S. troops will end combat operations on Aug. 31 ahead of a full withdrawal next year. (Additional reporting by Suadad al-Salhy, Waleed Ibrahim, and Reuters Television in Baghdad, Fadel al-Badrani in Falluja; writing by Michael Christie; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

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By BUSHRA JUHI, Associated Press Writer Bushra Juhi, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 23 mins ago

BAGHDAD – A suicide bomber targeting army soldiers and members of a government-backed militia lining up to receive their paychecks killed at least 43 people and wounded 46 on Sunday, Iraqi officials said.

Violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq in the past two years, but members of the security forces remain the target of repeated attacks blamed on militants trying to destabilize the country as the United States moves ahead with plans to reduce its forces.

The Sunday morning bombing outside a military base happened as members of the anti-al-Qaida Sunni group, known as Sons of Iraq or Sahwa, lined up to receive paychecks in the mostly Sunni district of Radwaniya southwest of Baghdad.

At least six of the dead were Iraqi soldiers, 34 were Sahwa members and three were accountants, according to hospital and police officials. At least 13 of the wounded were Iraqi Army soldiers, four were accountants and the rest were believed to be Sahwa members, the officials said.

A military official at the base where the attack took place said the explosion was the work of one suicide bomber wearing an explosives vest.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The area was immediately closed off, and Iraqi helicopters could be seen flying over the site.

The Sahwa fighters have played a key role in the reduction of violence in Iraq since they first rose up against their former al-Qaida allies in late 2006, joining the U.S. military and government forces in the fight against the terror group.

More than four months after an inconclusive parliamentary election in March, Iraq has no government as politicians bicker over who will lead it. The impasse has raised fears that militants will exploit the political vacuum to re-ignite sectarian violence that brought Iraq to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007.

The attacks against the security forces and the Sahwa are especially worrying because they come at a time when the number of U.S. troops in Iraq is dropping and Iraq's nascent security forces are taking over security in the country. All U.S. combat units are scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of next month and the last American soldier by the end of next year.

Sunday's bombing was the deadliest against Iraq's security forces in months.

Insurgents have used an array of attacks to intimidate and kill security forces, such as drive-by shootings, bombs attached to the undercarriage of vehicles and bombing houses where security forces live. But Sunday's attack was more reminiscent of the type insurgents used to discourage people from joining the security forces.


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By BUSHRA JUHI, Associated Press Writer Bushra Juhi, Associated Press Writer – 54 mins ago

BAGHDAD – Two suicide bombings killed 48 people in Iraq on Sunday, including dozens from a government-backed, anti-al-Qaida militia lining up to collect their paychecks near a military base southwest of Baghdad, Iraqi officials said.

The bombings were the deadliest in a series of attacks across Iraq Sunday aimed at the Sons of Iraq, Sunni groups also known as Awakening Councils that work with government forces to fight al-Qaida in Iraq.

The attacks highlighted the stiff challenges the country faces as the U.S. scales back its forces in Iraq, leaving their Iraqi counterparts in charge of security.

The first attack Sunday morning — the worst against Iraq's security forces this year — killed at least 45 people and wounded more than 40. It occurred at a checkpoint near a military base where the Awakening Council members had lined up to collect their paychecks in the mostly Sunni district of Radwaniya southwest of Baghdad.

"There were more than 150 people sitting on the ground when the explosion took place. I ran, thinking that I was a dead man," said Uday Khamis, 24, who was sitting outside the Mahmoudiyah hospital where many of the wounded were taken. His left hand was bandaged and his clothes were stained with blood.

At least a dozen men, dressed in military-style uniforms were seen laying in pools of blood in front of a blast wall in footage taken by the Associated Press Television shortly after the blast.

There were conflicting reports as to how many of the dead were Iraqi soldiers and whether any of the civilian accountants handing out money were among them.

A military official at the base said the explosion was the work of one suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Some of the injured complained about the lack of protection from the Iraqi military when they would go to collect their paychecks. Khamis said the men used to be searched but this time they were allowed to line up without any checks being conducted.

Another man who was waiting at the hospital with his wounded nephew said this was the fifth day they had gone to the base to try and collect their paychecks.

"Every time they went to receive their salary, they told them to come back the next day and they did that for four days and now in the fifth day this explosion took place," said Hassan Ali.

The area was immediately sealed off, and Iraqi helicopters could be seen flying over the site.

In the second attack, a suspected militant stormed a local Awakening Council headquarters in the far western town Qaim, near the Syrian border, and opened fire on those inside.

The fighters returned fire, wounding the attacker, who then blew himself up as they gathered around him, killing three and wounding six others, police officials said on condition of anonymity.

While violence has dropped dramatically over the past two years in Iraq, security forces remain a favorite target for insurgents bent on destabilizing the country and its Shiite-led government.

The Awakening Councils have played a key role in reducing violence in Iraq since they first turned against their former al-Qaida allies in late 2006, joining the U.S. military and government forces in the fight against the terror group.

But their future role in the Shiite-majority country is contentious. The U.S. used to pay the monthly salaries of about $300 for the nearly 100,000-strong militias. Last year, the Iraqi government took over paying their salaries and, after heavy pressure from the Americans, agreed to absorb up to 20 percent of the fighters into its security forces, with others getting government jobs.

Some members of the Awakening Councils, however, have complained about late paychecks, and many say they have been given menial jobs. Khamis, one of the wounded, said they were to receive two months' worth of salary Sunday.

A member of the provincial council in Anbar province where the Sons of Iraq were first organized said the lack of good government jobs has made the anti-al-Qaida militia members less eager to fight the insurgents.

"These heroes are no longer willing to fight al-Qaida because they have not received what they deserved," he said.

Two members of Awakening Councils were also wounded in two minor attacks south of Baghdad on Sunday.

More than four months after March's inconclusive parliamentary election, Iraq has still no government as politicians continue to bicker over who will lead. The impasse has raised fears that militants will exploit the political vacuum to re-ignite sectarian violence that brought the country to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007.

The attacks against the security forces and the Awakening Councils are especially worrying because they come at a time when the number of U.S. troops in Iraq is dropping and Iraq's fledgling security forces are taking on greater responsibilities in the country.

All U.S. combat units are scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of next month and the last American soldier by the end of next year.