Gorilla’s Guides

Reports From Irak June 27 2007

The campaign of bombings of sites of major religious significance continued with the bombing in Kadhimiya in Baghdad.

The bridge bombing campaign in Baghdad continued with a suicide attack on one of the checkpoints at Jadriya bridge this evening that killed one policeman, wounded three others, and damaged the bridge.

The shockwaves of Monday’s bombing of the Mansour Hotel in Baghdad continued today. Tests at the scene confirmed that reports that the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber and that about 12Kg of explosive augmented by ball bearings and nails were used in the bomb. The bomber targeted a meeting of sheikhs and leaders both from Al-Anbar and the south causing the death of 12 persons, including Gen. Aziz al-Yassiri. Sheikhs Khalifa, Rabah Alaalouani, and Dahham al-Ubaydi are now confirmed to be among the wounded. The green zone government has withdrawn the license of SBS a British company that supplies mercenaries in Irak. During the press conference today Gen. Khalaf pointed to the existence of three entrances to the hotel one of which (the one overlooking the Tigris) was used by VIPs such as the Sheikhs. Security procedures at the entrances was the responsibility of SBS and Gen. Khalaf said that the company had not searched people coming into the hotel.

[Technical note: This interpretation of events sounds about right. There are 3 entrances to the hotel one of them used almost exclusively by staff it would be easy enough for someone known to the people at the checkpoint to use an excuse such as “I’m late for work” to escape a thorough search. 12Kg sounds about right for the scale of the damage and the absence of a crater coupled with the blast pattern visible in the photographs all point to such an attack. In not one of the photographs is there a crater visible. The wounds of the injured fit the pattern of bombings using relatively weak or small amounts of explosives. In order to maximise casualties when using weak explosives or small amounts of more powerful material it is now standard practise to include ballbearings, nails, or sharp slivers of metal. This techinque was pioneered by loyalist terrorists in Northern Ireland because they were forced to rely on homemade explosives unlike the IRA who had access to plentiful supplies of high grade explosive. — markfromireland. see also this report from freebab.com.]

Relations between Baghdad and Ankara continued to deteriorate. The commander of the Turkish armed forces reiterated today that there needed to be a cross-border operation in northern Iraq to crush Kurdish rebels there, adding that this would be useful. In a press conference broadcast on Turkish television Turkey’s Chief of Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said:

“I said earlier (in April) that we need for a cross-border operation and that this would be useful. I now repeat this opinion. “

The southern governorates are to coordinate mine clearance operations representatives from Maysan, Dhi Qar and Babel, Najaf and Karbala attended a conferencein Basrah and agreed to coordinate their efforts.

Site News: We have today added a category “Bridge Bombing Campaign” to list of searchable categories for the site.

Nur

Reports From Baghdad

The bombing at the shrine of the 7th Shi’te Imam in Kadhimiya is now known to have killed 10 people and wounded 15 many of them seriously. 

The toll of the bombing of the Souq al-Semchah vegetable market in the Sleikh neighborhood has risen. It is now known that five persons were killed and ten others were wounded.

Jadiriya Bridge in central Baghdad was attacked by a car bomb driven by suicide bomber this evening 3 police wounded one police killed and the bridge damaged. Reports still coming in this is preliminary report.

An American patrol patrol of 6 hummers became stuck in a traffic jam in Sadr city and opened fire indiscriminately  killing 4 civilians and wounding 4 others.  According to eyewitnesses the incident which occurred around noon near the al-Tahzeeb police station in the Kayara quarter resulted in the deaths of four civilians and the wounding of four others. The American patrol was backed up by helicopters. Residents were only able to evacuate the dead and wounded to Imam Ali hospital after the Americans had left. The Arabic report on the independent Iraki newsagency Aswat Al Iraq (Voices of Iraq) says that no gunmen were present in the area and quotes residents as saying that among the dead was a taxi driver. Sadr city is witnessing continuous raids by the American forces who claim each time such an incident occurs that they were looking for wanted persons. Update: This later report gives casualties as 2 dead and ten wounded. 

33 corpses have been found in Baghdad and its outskirts. 12 In Karkh, 9 in Rasafa and 6 in the industrial district in the south west.

A 57 year old journalist Abdul Hamid Sarhan was ambushed and shot dead by gunmen in Saydia on Tuesday night as he returned home from work. He was married with 5 children.

Green zone government spokesmen said that 8 of their soldiers were killed and 29 others injured, including one officer in combat missions in Baghdad over the last 24 hours. The missions resulted in green zone government soldiers killing 14 armed men, detaining 116 suspects, seizing weaponry, three abductees from the hands of their kidnappers and neutralising two explosive devices according to the spokesmen. The operations seem to have been mostly in Kazimiyah.  

A 57 year old journalist Abdul Hamid Sarhan was ambushed and shot dead by gunmen in Saydia on Tuesday night as he returned home from work. He was married with 5 children.

American forces raided a home for the disabled on Palestine Street (east Baghdad) the incident comes less than a week after the American forces raided an orphanage for severely handicapped children and discovered children naked, starving, and smeared with their own excrement. Photos of the children raised a storm of protests and condemnation of government neglect and abuse of the children. The ministry responsible say that the raids and release of the photos is part of a political smear campaign and say they’re considering suing the Americans.

A car bomb in al-Suleikh near the market entrance killed at least 3 people and wounded 10 as well as setting vehicles on fire according to one witness. Another witness said that he had seen the bodies of 4 police bein removed from the scene.

Green zone government Nouri al-Maliki’s office denied on Wednesday that Maliki had ordered that a stop be put judicial actions against Minister of Culture Asaad al-Hashimi.who is accused of murdering the 2 sons of an Iraki politician who at the time was a supporter of Iyad Allawi. The arrest of the minister’s bodyguards and the flight of the minister has triggered yet another act in the ongoing political crisis in the green zone. The full report on Maliki’s denial is available in Arabic here and in English here.

A car bomb exploded in the Abu Dshir south of Baghdad it is not known at this stage if there were losses.

Three civilians were wounded by indiscriminate fire from American forces in the Qadisiya area of central Baghdad.

There have violent clashes between gunmen and the American and green zone government in Sayyidiyah.

Reports From The Governorates

These are the reports from the governorates:

Al Anbar Governorate

In Kubaysa two green zone government police were wounded in an attack by gunmen who arrived at checkpoint on motorcycles and opened fire the attack lasted about an hour.

Arbil Governorate

A judge in northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region has said there are no legal reasons preventing a cousin and former close aide of Saddam Hussein from being executed in Kurdistan. Judge Razkar Muhammad Amin was referring to the former Iraqi defence minister and military commander, Ali Hasan al-Majid, also known as “Chemical Ali”, who has been sentenced to death for his role in the killings of ethnic Kurd villagers in Iraq during the 1980s.

[snip]

Halabja has launched a citizens’ campaign to have al-Majid hanged in the city, which they believe would be a symbolic gesture to highlight the suffering of Iraq’s ethnic Kurds under Saddam’s regime.

Source AKI (Italy) IRAQ: CHEMICAL ALI CAN HANG IN KURDISTAN SAYS JUDGE [Erskar Mohammed Amin, is head of the Association of Judges of Kurdistan and member of the Appellate Court in the province he conducted the first sessions of Saddam Hussein’s trial.]

At-Ta’mim (Kirkuk) Governorate

The President of the Kirkuk governorate warned  against arming tribes in some hot spots of the Governorate during a meeting of the Council. He noted that some media outlets have been carrying news about the existence of the idea among green zone government and USA circles of arming tribes in some areas to the south-west of Kirkuk which are “hot spots”. 

Delivery vans, trucks, and large cars are to be prevented from entering Kirkuk following a meeting of the Governorate security committee. The security situation in Kirkuk has declined dramatically and the measure is an attempt to alleviate this. Central Kirkuk has several industrial areas and markets.

Basra Governorate

The southern governorates held a conference in Basrah on mine clearance representatives from Maysan, Dhi Qar and Babel, Najaf and Karbala attended a conference on “best practise” for mine disposal. Mines left over from the war with Iran claim the lives of many people in these governorates each years. They also constitute an obstacle to the implementation of joint projects with Iran such as the project to extend the rail links and the the pipeline for the export of Iraqi oil via ports in Abadan and constructing a cable network to import electricity from Iran. [See also Gorilla’s Guides reports: IRAQ: Drive to raise awareness of unexploded ordnance in south and Death In A Garbage Dump]

Several British armoured patrols were attacked in Basrah last nightone armoured vehicle was damaged by a bomb. The British bases in the airport and the former presidential palace underwent their nightly rocket attacks.

Two bombs exploded Wednesday morning in downtown Basrah targeting a patrol of the British forces. The attack did not result in casualties.

Gunmen shot dead last night a policeman working within the Basrah province border police in front of his house in Marbad Zubayr west of the city of Basrah.

An Iraki fisherman was killed and another wounded early in the morning when an Iranian guard opened fire on their boat. WNA’s report says they were in Iraki waters at the time.

 

Dhi Qar Governorate

A reporter from al-Baghdadiya satellite television, Emad al-Khuzaae, who had been detained by green zone government security forces while covering security incidents in Diwaniyah has now been released.

Diyala Governorate

 

- 19 Iraqi citizens were killed and 28 were wounded due to mortar shelling and gunmen attacks in Al Khalis and its suburbs yesterday evening. Governmental sources spoke on condition of anonymity said that 41 mortar shells landed in different neighborhoods of the town and started about 5 pm and lasted for two hours killing 5 residents and injuring 15. About the same time gunmen attacked Al Tahwila area killing 14 and injuring 13. The source said many families were displaced from the area due to the attack.

- Governmental and political parties� sources in Khalis disputed a U.S. military statement that was issued few days ago; the statement said that a U.S. helicopter killed 17 terrorists but these sources say these men were protecting their own town from terrorist attacks. They said that Abbas Muthafar Hashim, Shakir Adnan, Ali Jawad, Jassim Jaleel, Abbas Jaleel, Kamal Hadi, Jamal Hassan and Mohammed Abdul Kareem were killed and 8 others were injured. They noted that the killed were members of what is called the popular committees that protect the area from the terrorists attacks, as they said.

- A statement by Diyala salvation council said that the residents of Al Muathin village in Wajihiyah town, one of the villages of Muqdadiyah 25 Km east of Baqouba had defeated an attack yesterday evening. The statement accused al Qaida for the attack and said in a short statement that about 50 gunmen attacked the village and after two hours of clashes a resident from the village Qusai Najim Abid Al Timimi was killed and 3 others were injured while at least 4 attackers were killed.

McClatchy Washington Bureau | 06/27/2007 | Round-up of daily violence, Wednesday June 27, 2007

Karbala Governorate

144 dunums of land between the city of Karbala and Lake Razzaza have been planted with more than forty thousand seedlings of eucalyptus, cypress and olive as part of the re-forestation component of the environment improving project the digging of wells and irrigation were part of the project also.

Maysan Governorate

An Iraki working as a translator with the British occupation forces has died and three British soldiers injured in a traffic accident in the north-east part of the governorate.

Najaf Governorate

The Director of Information Najaf governorate said that that a 27 year old man resident in Diyala who had worked in Al Shorja as a porter had been detained and has confessed to being the commander of an AL-Qaeda cell and that he had admitted that he and 4 other members of the cell were responsible for killing 50 people.

Ninawa Governorate

 Reports from Mosul Observer (we repeat these verbatim the times given are the times the report was received by Mosul Observer - editors:)

Wednesday 27 June 2007 

10:45
Another surgeon kidnapped in Mosul
According to eye witnesses, unknown gunmen kidnapped Dr Daniel Zayya, one of the most prominent surgeons in Mosul today. He was forced out his house in Al-Arabi district, left bank of Mosul. De Zayya was made retired before the occupation.

10:20
Three bodies found in Mosul today Wednesday 27/6/2007
Iraqi police found today 3 bodies killed by fire arms in different parts of Mosul. Two of the bodies belonged to young Christian men who were members in Bein Al-Nahrain (Mesopotamia) Movement in Al-Zuhoor district and the other was unidentified and was found in Al-Muthanna district according to the source.

A kidnap of a young man in Mosul.
In another incident, an 18 years old youth called Evan was kidnapped from the front of his house in Al-Bakr district in Mosul.

09:17
Assassination of Wood merchant, Printing Shop Owner and blowing up a sports club.
- A wood merchant was killed in his home in AL-Sukker district, left bank of Mosul this morning, Wednesday 27 June 2007. 
- The owner of a printing shop in Al-Najafi Street (Mosul Centre) by unknown gunmen.
- Unknown gunmen blew up last night Al-Rabie’ (Spring) Sports club (previously known as Kojer Club) in Al-Jazaier district. left bank of Mosul
09:07
Iraqi Army diffuses a One and a half ton explosive device in Tellaafer.
General Khorsheed AL-Dosaki, Commander of the Third Iraqi Army Division announced that a party from the Division diffused an explosive device which weighed 1500Kg was planted on the side of Al-Mahalabiya-Tellaafer highway, Nineveh. The explosives were inside 6 Oxygen containers and were linked to a digital camera. The device was of a very high technological specifications that can be triggered by magnetic vibrations after the the picture being analyzed by the device and he added that it is the first of its kind that has been found yet. He suggested that the device could have been made in Syria.

Source: Mosul Observer

Salah ad Din Governorate

There are conflicting reports of a bombing in Samarra. A green zone government interior ministry commando patrol was bombed in Samarra three of the commandos were killed and 4 wounded  including Abdel Hamid Rashid, director of resident doctors at Samarra Hospital according to Aswat Al Iraq. WNA’s report says 5 of the members of the patrol were killed and that the troops following the explosion opened fire indiscriminately, killing three civilians and wounding another. Eyeiraq.com gives the toll as 5 members of the patrol and 2 civilians killed in the firing by the commandos.

A head wearing a green zone government army hat was discovered in a garage in Tikrit.

The body of an unidentified young man taken from the Tigris River in a village east of Tikrit not showing gunshot wounds or signs of torture was handed over to the city hospital to determine the cause of death.

American forces handed over to Tikrit Hospital morgue the body of a man in his 30s who had suffered gunshot wounds to the head.

Two people were killed by a bomb near the Rafidain bank.

In Henka a small town Sharqat north of Tikrit 14 armed men were killed when a bomb in the truck in which they were riding exploded prematurely. 

Update: fixed typo in company name.

Indexed under: Al Anbar (Governorate), Arbil (Erbil), Baghdad, Baghdad Markets, Basrah, Bridge Bombing Campaign, Bridges, Briefings, Child Poverty, Dhi Qar (Governorate), Disputed Areas, Diyala, Joint Postings, Journalists Attacked, Khalis, Kirkuk, Maysan (Governorate), Mosul, Najaf, Ninawa (Governorate), Sadr City, Salah ad Din (Governorate), Samarra, Tikrit, Women and Children