Mass Grave With 30 Bodies in Ba'aqouba, Sadr Threatens an All Out War Until Liberations

Gunmen blow up high-pressure power plant in Sinjar

Ninewa - Voices of Iraq

Sunday , 20 /04 /2008 Time 3:33:27

Ninewa, Apr 20, (VOI) –

Unidentified gunmen blew up a high-pressure power plant in the district of Sinjar, 120 km northwest of Mosul, causing a power failure in the area, the official spokesman for the Ninewa operations command said on Sunday. "The gunmen stormed the plant, located just off the Sinjar Cement Factory, (25 km) east of the district, on Saturday night. They overpowered all five plant guards, placed explosives near the electricity facility and detonated it by means of remote control before escaping," Brig. Khaled Abdul-Sattar told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

"No incidents resulted from the attack," Abdul-Sattar added. The Sinjar mayor, Dakhil Qassem Hassoun, told VOI that the plant, which has a capacity of 130 kilovolt, provided electricity to the districts of Sinjar, al-Biaaj, al-Qayrawan and al-Shimal. "These areas have been complaining of a total power cutoff since Saturday," Hassoun said, noting investigations are ongoing with the plant guards, who were arrested by security forces. Mosul, the capital of Ninewa, lies 405 km north of Baghdad. AE/SR

2 killed, woman wounded in attack near Baaquba

Diala - Voices of Iraq

Sunday , 20 /04 /2008 Time 3:33:27

Diala, Apr 20, (VOI) –

A driver and a policeman were killed and a woman wounded in an armed attack by gunmen believed to belong to al-Qaeda network northeast of Baaquba, a security source said. "The gunmen opened a volley of fire on a civilian vehicle, killing a policeman and a driver and wounding his wife in the district of al-Muqdadiya, (45 km) northeast of Baaquba," the source, who did not want his name mentioned, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI). Baaquba, the capital of Diala province, lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad.

AE/SR

Body of kidnapped local official found near Mosul

Ninewa - Voices of Iraq

Sunday , 20 /04 /2008 Time 3:33:27

Mosul, Apr 20, (VOI)-

Iraqi security forces on Sunday found the body of a local council member who was kidnapped last night from his home along with his brother near Mosul city, an official source said. “Security forces found today the Bodies of Shamdein Ibrahim Shamdein, member of Sinjar local council, and his brother near Sinjar district after being kidnapped last from their home in the district,” Dakhil Saadon, mayor of Sinjar district, told Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI). The source added that Shamdein along with his brother was kidnapped last night when unknown gunmen clad in military uniform stormed his home in Sinjar and forced them at gunpoint to unknown place. Sinjar is located 60 km northwest of Mosul which lies 405 km north of Baghdad. SK

Mass grave found in Diala

Diala - Voices of Iraq

Sunday , 20 /04 /2008 Time 3:33:27

Diala, Apr 20, (VOI)-

A mass grave was found on Sunday in a village near Ba’aquba, capital city of Diala, a security source said. “A mass grave containing 30 decayed bodies was found today in an orchard in Hambes village,” the source, who asked not to be named, told Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI). The source added that it was impossible to know the identity of those persons as most of the bodies were decayed. Armed groups are active in many parts of Diala, 57 km northeast of Baghdad. SK

Gunmen abduct nine college students in Diala

Diala - Voices of Iraq

Sunday , 20 /04 /2008 Time 3:33:27

Diala, Apr 20, (VOI)- Unknown gunmen on Sunday abducted nine college students along with a minibus driver in Diala, central Iraq, a security source said.

“Unknown gunmen intercepted a minibus at a fake checkpoint near Ba’aquba and forced nine college students and the driver at gunpoint to unknown place,” the source, who requested anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI). There were three female students among the passengers but the gunmen ordered them out of the minibus before they forced the other nine students at gunpoint to unknown place, according to the source. A source at Diala University said “so far we have not received any information on the incident.” Ba’aquba, capital city of Diala province, is 57 km northeast of Baghdad. SK

Government spokesman denies direct contacts with Sadr

Baghdad - Voices of Iraq

Sunday , 20 /04 /2008 Time 3:33:27

Baghdad, Apr 20, (VOI)-

The spokesman for the Iraqi government, Sunday, denied any direct contacts with the Shi'i cleric Moqtada al-Sadr who threatened to launch an “overall war” if the government did not stop campaigns against his followers.

“The government targets the outlaws and not a particular faction,” Ali al-Dabbagh said in a first reaction from the Iraqi government towards a statement issued yesterday by al-Sadr who threatened to declare "open war until liberation." On March 25, Iraqi security forces started an operation, dubbed Charge of the Knights, in the southern Iraqi city of Basra to chase what the government termed as “outlaws” while Sadrists said “it targeted the Sadr’s Mahdi army fighters.”

A week later, Cleric Sadr ordered his followers in a statement to be off the streets and end armed appearances. “We don’t have direct negotiations or contacts with the Sadr’s movement because we have nothing to negotiate with them but also we don’t have problems with the political factions,” Dabbagh explained. The government spokesman reiterated the call to disband Mahdi army saying “the state can not withstand the existence of two armies”. Mahdi army is a militia composed of followers of Sadr and they are active in many Shi'i predominantly cities in Baghdad and southern provinces. There is no authentic statistics on the number of Mahdi army fighters but some observers put its number at 50,000. SK

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