Holy crap - al Qaeda in Iraq broke a long term silence in Iraq today with what can only be described as a horrific attack on a provincial council building in Tikrit, Iraq. The assault was well-planned and saw the coordination of a suicide truck bomb, suicide bombers with belts and additional attackers who took (and killed) hostages with small arms. At least 53 Iraqis are dead in the incident from the vehicle explosion, the setting off of two suicide belts inside of the building and the execution of all of the hostages.
Here's the story from The Long War Journal:
Al Qaeda in Iraq shattered several weeks of relative calm in the country with a massed suicide assault on the provincial council in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. The attack appears to have been well planned and executed, based on the information currently available. From Reuters:
One provincial official said the gunmen threw hand grenades and opened fire at a checkpoint of the headquarters before they managed to charge in. "When security forces tried to intervene as they reached the entrance, a parked car bomb exploded. It was a powerful explosion and as a result, some of the security forces were killed," said the official.
"Two suicide bombers detonated themselves inside the provincial building, while other gunmen managed to seize members of the provincial council as hostages." The gunmen kept hostages on the second floor of the building.
The terrorists proceeded to execute the hostages who were not killed in the initial attack. Iraqi forces opened fire on the provincial headquarters, killing the remaining enemy fighters after receiving word that the hostages were dead.
Just about when you think Iraq has actually settled into some normalcy and you start to lose some of the fear that we won't see a problem with U.S. troops continuing to withdraw, this type of attack takes place. The disturbing part of this is that it took place in Tikrit - this isn't exactly a hub of governmental influence or any other significance in Iraq other than it was the birthplace of Saddam Hussein - we have seen little violence in Tikrit in years past. Perhaps this is just an unlucky time for the victims of the bombing and attack because of just that fact that al Qaeda probably found room to roam in this area.
53 killed in al Qaeda in Iraq suicide assault in Tikrit
Al Qaeda in Iraq shattered several weeks of relative calm in the country with a massed suicide assault on the provincial council in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. The attack appears to have been well planned and executed, based on the information currently available. From Reuters:
One provincial official said the gunmen threw hand grenades and opened fire at a checkpoint of the headquarters before they managed to charge in. "When security forces tried to intervene as they reached the entrance, a parked car bomb exploded. It was a powerful explosion and as a result, some of the security forces were killed," said the official.
"Two suicide bombers detonated themselves inside the provincial building, while other gunmen managed to seize members of the provincial council as hostages." The gunmen kept hostages on the second floor of the building.
The terrorists proceeded to execute the hostages who were not killed in the initial attack. Iraqi forces opened fire on the provincial headquarters, killing the remaining enemy fighters after receiving word that the hostages were dead.
Today's attack took place as the Iraqi government is seeking to reconcile with several major insurgent groups, many that have allied with al Qaeda in the past but broke with the terror group in 2006-2007 as al Qaeda stepped up attacks against civilians and the Iraqi security forces. The Islamic Army, the 1920 Revolution Brigades, HAMAS - Iraq (a 1920s splinter group), the Mujahideen Army, the Rashidin Army, and the Shariah Commission of Ansar al Sunnah (an Ansar al Sunnah splinter group) are said to be in econciliation talks with the Iraqi government.
An attack such as the one today may be intended to sabotage such talks; the Iraqi government may be less inclined to conduct peace talks with insurgents after today.
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