This is major and as you can see from the article here at AswatAliraq, it's brief but to me, it is very telling. Also, I've noted that it isn't making press anywhere else! Let's look at the report:
Now, the reasons that I am calling this major are:
1. This is the first operation that I have seen in over a year where SIX commanders of al Qaeda in Iraq were killed in one operation.
2. This took place in Diyala Province
3. The Iraqi press is starting to report al Qaeda as "non-Iraqi Arab nationals".
What I want to look at is the locaton of this operation - between Baladruz and Kaanan districts of Baquba in Diyala province. Basically, Baquba is the city the U.S. forces swept about six months ago in an effort to clean al Qaeda in Iraq out of Diyala. And that city was lousy with al Qaeda at the time and the sledding was rough for American troops. The end result of the operations in Diyala were marginal at best - al Qaeda commanders fled well ahead of the operation and we never saw a major body count.
But what is encouraging now and what I perceive this operation result shows is that al Qaeda in Iraq is moving out of their other stronghold in Mosul and trying to regroup in Diyala. The Mosul operations by U.S. and Iraqi forces have been going on now for about three months and the successes have begun - I believe this has forced al Qaeda to move on and this to me is a huge signal that a large cell got caught in mid flight in Diyala.
This is one of the single largest kills of al Qaeda in Iraq in many moons. It is wonderful news. And it will be interesting to see if we don't see more of this in Diyala now if as I say, the movement there has begun.
Twenty al-Qaeda network fighters were killed during a joint U.S.-Iraqi operation conducted in Diala, the province police chief said.“Police forces backed by Multi-National troops conducted a military operation in the region between Baladruz and Kaanan district of Baquba city,” Brig. Gen Ghanim al-Qureishi, Diala police chief, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).The police official pointed out “20 al-Qaeda network fighters, including six commanders who were non-Iraqi Arab nationals, were killed in the operation.”
Now, the reasons that I am calling this major are:
1. This is the first operation that I have seen in over a year where SIX commanders of al Qaeda in Iraq were killed in one operation.
2. This took place in Diyala Province
3. The Iraqi press is starting to report al Qaeda as "non-Iraqi Arab nationals".
What I want to look at is the locaton of this operation - between Baladruz and Kaanan districts of Baquba in Diyala province. Basically, Baquba is the city the U.S. forces swept about six months ago in an effort to clean al Qaeda in Iraq out of Diyala. And that city was lousy with al Qaeda at the time and the sledding was rough for American troops. The end result of the operations in Diyala were marginal at best - al Qaeda commanders fled well ahead of the operation and we never saw a major body count.
But what is encouraging now and what I perceive this operation result shows is that al Qaeda in Iraq is moving out of their other stronghold in Mosul and trying to regroup in Diyala. The Mosul operations by U.S. and Iraqi forces have been going on now for about three months and the successes have begun - I believe this has forced al Qaeda to move on and this to me is a huge signal that a large cell got caught in mid flight in Diyala.
This is one of the single largest kills of al Qaeda in Iraq in many moons. It is wonderful news. And it will be interesting to see if we don't see more of this in Diyala now if as I say, the movement there has begun.
Joint forces kill 20 al-Qaeda fighters in Diala
Diala, Apr 30, (VOI) - Twenty al-Qaeda network fighters were killed during a joint U.S.-Iraqi operation conducted in Diala, the province police chief said.“Police forces backed by Multi-National troops conducted a military operation in the region between Baladruz and Kaanan district of Baquba city,” Brig. Gen Ghanim al-Qureishi, Diala police chief, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).The police official pointed out “20 al-Qaeda network fighters, including six commanders who were non-Iraqi Arab nationals, were killed in the operation.”Earlier, the operation site saw the abduction of a minibus carrying Diala University students by an armed group believed to be al-Qaeda network ten days ago, but who were later released on the same day.Baaquba, the capital city of Diala province, lies 57 km north-east Baghdad.
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