Gorilla’s Guides

Summary:

• Green zone government prime minister Maliki tried to shore up te Diwaniyah peace agreement yesterday.
• Aswat Al Iraq’s correspondent in Mosul has been murdered.
• University lecturers in Karbala University are to be assigned bodyguards and given weapons permits to protect themselve.
• 7 university students all of the Obeidis were kidnapped near Khalis.
• Two bombings in Sadr City killed at least 5 and wounded at least 15.
• Also in Baghdad green zone government guards ran out of ammunition during an attack on their building in Bai’ia - they were rescued by residents who joined in the fighting and chased the attackers away.
• Yacoub Yousef’s body along with those of his 3 sons have been found - he was accountant in the port company in Basrah
• A child was wounded in crossfire between green zone government forces and gunmen who set up a fake checkpoint in Babil governorate. The body of an investigating magistrate has been found.

Editorial Note:

Nur, Zeynab and myself all have sick children we will not be posting further today.

Um Thalit.

Reports From Baghdad

Green zone government forces killed eight militants and arrested 105 suspects during the past 24 hours in different parts of Baghdad and other governorates according to a statemen received the independent News Aswat Al Iraq. The statement also said a car bomb and eight other bombs in Baghdad and other governorates were defused during the last (24) hours years

Source: اصوات العراق - مقتل واعتقال 113 مسلحا ومشتبها بهم في بغداد والمحافظات

Local residents in Baghdad’s southwestern Sunni neighborhood of al-Bayaa foiled an armed attack targeting a government building on Thursday afternoon, eyewitnesses said.

“Unknown gunmen sprayed machine-gun fire into al-Rasheed Unit building, affiliated to Baghdad’s municipal government in al-Bayaa, close to al-Saidiya neighborhood,” an eyewitness told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

The building’s guards offered great resistance, but when they ran out of ammunition local residents joined in the fight, forcing the gunmen to run away.

Al-Bayaa neighborhood and the surrounding areas have witnessed armed clashes between the Iraqi police and armed groups, which have left many people killed or injured.

English Source: Al-Bayaa residents foil attack on government building (the text is from the English report) Arabic Source: اصوات العراق - أهالي البياع يحبطون هجوما مسلحا على مبنى حكومي

Photo: Aswat Al Iraq

Two bombings have left at least five people dead and 15 others injured.

The Two booby-trapped cars exploded in succession in Sadr city on Thursday morning.

1. In al-Talibiya a bomb underneath a car close to a falafel restaurant - 3 dead fifteen wounded.
2. The market bombing left 2 persons dead the casualties are still coming in.

Source: اصوات العراق - مقتل وإصابة 20 شخصا بإنفجار سيارتين في مدينة الصدر

Hostages Statement:

The British Ambassador Dominique Esquith released a statement on the 5 abducted britons who were taken from the green zone government finance ministry building in Palestine street saying “We will do everything in our power to help abductees and their families in order to reunite them in these difficult times.” and calling for their relelase. He said the embassy was working with the green zone government to obtain their release.a

Source: اصوات العراق - السفير البريطاني : حكومتنا ستعمل كل مافي وسعها لإطلاق سراح المختطفين البريطانيين

Reports From The Governorates

These are all that have come in so far:

Babil Governorate

Five gunmen who had set had set a fake checkpoint on the highway 60 Km northeast of Hilla were detained. A police spokesman said that:

“clashes between the gunmen and police resulted in the injury of a child before the arrest of the gunmen.”

The tortured body of Abdul Sattar Salman Al-Azzawi an investigating magistrate has been found 40 km north of Hilla. Source: اصوات العراق - اعتقال خمسة مسلحين والعثورعلى جثة قاضي تحقيق شمال الحلة

Basra Governorate

The bodies of Yacoub Yousef accountant in the port company in Basrah who had been kidnapped along with three of his sons from his home in the north of the city Wednesday were found dumped today in a square in central Basrah. Source: اصوات العراق - العثور على أربع جثث في البصرة

Diyala Governorate

Seven university students have been kidnapped on the road between Baqubah and Al Khalis. The minibus in which they were travelling home to al-Dojmah from their final examinations was stopped at a fake checkpoint 10 kilometers east of Al Khalis. All were Obeidis. Residents of Al Khalis and outlying villages complain of continuing kidnappings, killings and extortion carried out by rival armed groups against civilians, despite the implementation of several green zone government security plans. Source: اصوات العراق - مسلحون يختطفون سبعة طلاب شرق الخالص

Karbala Governorate

Lectrurers in Karbala university are to be granted arms permits and assigned a bodyguard each. The University was founded in 1995 and its 350 lecturers work in the faculties of management and the economy, science, engineering, medicine and agriculture. Source: اصوات العراق - كربلاء تمنح أساتذة جامعتها رخصة حمل السلاح

Ninawa Governorate

Aswat Al Iraq’s correspondent has been murdered see this posting made by my colleague Ali for details Aswat Al Iraq Journalist Murdered In Mosul

Qadisiyyah Governorate

Green zone government Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said during his visit to Diwaniyah that the production of electric power and fuel was adequate to fill the need, but that terrorists were preventing delivery to the citizens. Duirng his meeting with the governor and members of the Provincial Police and army command, and clan leaders he was briefed on the reality of maintaining security and the socialsproblems facing children, living conditions, and unemployment problems. He promised to set up an Armed Forces recruitment centre and given priority to police protection of staff and installations in the governorate. He also denied that the security clampdowns are targeting particulat political parties or movements he said only outlaws were the target.

[Tell that to Muqtada Al Sadr - Um Thalit.]

Source: وكالة الانباء الوطنية العراقية: رئيس الوزراء: خطة فرض القانون المطبقة في بغداد ومحافظات لاتستهدف جهة او كتلة سياسية معينة

Salah ad Din Governorate

1. Green zone government police commandos captured Salam Mulla Mustafa a gunman they say is the leader of the al-Qaeda group in Tikrit and injured four of his aides
2. Colonel Hassan Ahmed, head of the Criminal Investigation Division of Salah al-Din survived an assassination attempt when a bomb targeted his car on the road just east Tikrit he was not injured badly two members of his protection squad also escaped with light injuries.

   Source: اصوات العراق - إعتقال مسؤول القاعدة فى تكريت

English Language Reports

• Residents flee restive city Thousands of families are fleeing the violent-stricken city of Baaquoba ahead of reported military operations by U.S. and Iraqi troops…. more 07/06/2007
• PM urges military to thwart possible coup Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has asked his military commanders to confront any attempt to topple him as political factions have joined efforts to unseat him…. more 07/06/2007
• Residents of Doura in Baghdad cry for help The restive Doura quarter of Baghdad has been under siege for nearly two weeks and residents say they are running out of basic items and amenities…. more 05/06/2007
• Tribal leaders under attack Three tribal leaders in the northern city of Mosul have been gunned down by unidentified assailants…. more 05/06/2007
• Tension rises over Kirkuk Rival minorities are at loggerheads over the fate of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk…. more 04/06/2007

Source: Azzaman in English