Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

60 Iraqis, a US Soldier Killed, Including 50 by Suicide Bombing, Mass Grave with 51 Bodies in Al-Mahmoudiay, According to Initial April 17, 2008 News Reports

Yaqen.net reported the following news today:

- 10 Iraqis were killed, 38 were injured as a result of the fighting between Mahdi Army militiamen and the US-led forces in Sadr City.

- A US soldier was killed in Rabi'a village, Diala Province.

- 45 people were killed, 50 were injured in the Bu Muhammed village suicide bombing today.

- Mahdi Army leader, Shi'i cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr was detained for one week in Iran, then was released on Tuesday. His $14 million account was also frozen in an attempt to pressure him to stop fighting the US-backed Iraqi government.

The Iraq News Agency (INA) reported that 49 people were killed in the suicide bombing of the Bu Muhammed village today.


Aljazeera TV reported at 2:00 pm ET, on April 17, 2008, that a suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt at mourners of a funeral performed for two US-recruited Sahwa fighters, killing at least 50 people. Previously, families of the Sahwa fighters were warned by Al-Qaeda in Iraq not to perform a funeral for them, as they were considered collaborators with the US forces.

Diala suicide attack leaves 81 casualties  

Diala - Voices of Iraq

Thursday , 17 /04 /2008  Time 9:24:23   

Ba'aqouba, Apr 17, (VOI)-

The death toll from the suicide bombing attack that targeted a funeral in al-Azeem district in northeastern Diala on Thursday rose to 33 dead and 48 wounded, said an official police source.

“The suicide bombing attack that took place in al-Bu Mohammed village in al-Azeem district in Khalis, left 33 persons killed and 48 wounded, some of them in critical condition,” the source, who asked to be unnamed, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).

“The number of casualties is most likely to increase,” he added. Earlier, the same source said a suicide bomber blew up an explosive belt strapped to his body among mourners at a funeral in al-Azeem district in northeastern Diala, killing 30 civilians and injuring 35 others. Al-Azeem district is located in Khalis city, 15 km north of Ba'aqouba, the capital of Diala, which lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad. Last Tuesday, a car bomb went off near the Diala Court in central Ba'aqouba, killing 40 and injuring 65, including women and children. SH/SR

Iraqi troops find 51 bodies in Baghdad suburb  

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq

Thursday , 17 /04 /2008  Time 9:31:10

    Baghdad, Apr17, (VOI)-

Baghdad security spokesman on Thursday said Iraqi army discovered 51 bodies in southern Baghdad suburb. "A force from Iraqi army 6th division found 51 bodies of civilians and military servicemen in Mahmoudiya, Baghdad southern suburb, killed by armed groups over the past two years", Brig. Gen Qassem Atta, told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq(VOI).

The spokesman pointed out Tips-off given by the suburb residents led the security forces to find the corpses in Al-Askari neighbourhood. Earlier, Iraqi authorities announced the discovery of two mass graves in Mahmoudiya AM

3 civilians injured by bomb blast in Mosul  

Ninewa - Voices of Iraq

Thursday , 17 /04 /2008  Time 9:31:10

    Mosul, Apr 17, (VOI)-

Three civilians were wounded on Thursday by a bomb blast in northern Mosul, a police source said. “Anti-shields bomb went off this morning, targeting a police vehicle patrol in al-Majmouaa al-Thaqafiya region in northern Mosul, wounding three civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI). He gave no more details. Mosul, the capital of Ninewa, is 405 km north of Baghdad. SH/SR

Sadrist leaders refuse to lay down weapons
 
Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Thursday , 17 /04 /2008  Time 9:31:10 
Riyadh, Apr 17, (VOI)-

Sadrist leaders asserted they refuse to hand over Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s al-Mahdi army’s weapons to the Iraqi government or dissolve it except if Shiite top clerics gave directives to do that.

London-based al-Hayat newspaper quoted senior Sadrist leader in Najaf, Basem al-Marwani, as saying that “al-Mahdi army will not allow anyone to disarm it and al-Sadr could not disarm al-Mahdi army except if top Shiite clerics gave directives to do that.”

“The government demands al-Sadr to dissolve al-Mahdi army and disarm it, threatening him to prevent him from taking part in the political process,” al-Marwani added, noting that “the army is resolved to continue its armed resistance against the foreign occupation.”

The head of Badr organization, affiliated with the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC – Shiite political entity), had stressed on Wednesday the necessity that the Sadr movement dissolves "Mahdi Army militias," if it wants to participate in the political process, saying that only the Mahdi Army and al-Qaeda "carried weapons" against the state and army.

"No side raised weapons in the face of the state and government, other than the Mahdi Army and al-Qaeda," Hadi al-Amiri, lawmaker of the Unified Iraqi Coalition (UIC – parliamentary bloc headed by SIIC), said in a press interview with 'Asharq Alawsat' international daily, the Saudi issue.

“Muqtada al-Sadr would not dissolve al-Mahdi army unless the Iraqi government implements his conditions; establishing a justice state in Iraq, forming a technocrat government , the matter that could not be done with U.S. forces present in the country,” al-Marwani said.

“al-Sadr’s main demand is the withdrawal of the foreign occupation from Iraq or at least putting a timetable to pullout troops,” he explained.

For his part, Azheer al-Koufi, al-Mahdi army leader, expressed refusal to dissolve al-Mahdi army underling to the paper “the presence of al-Mahdi army guarantees the presence of Muqtada al-Sadr in the Iraqi arena.”

“Al-Mahdi army is stronger than the U.S.-made Iraqi army itself,” he underlined.

SH
 

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