Iraqi Governor of Diyala Escapes Suicide Bombing On Convoy, Two Dead

Just when you had to be shaking your head in amazement at the lack of any viable attacks by al Qaeda in Iraq during the Diyala operation, a sucide bomber got to a convoy in Baquba killing two people but the Governor of Diyala province survived the attack. Here's the details from the Reuters story:

Iraqi authorities imposed a curfew on the capital of restive Diyala province on Tuesday after the governor survived a suicide bomb attack on his convoy.
Two people died and seven were wounded in the attack, when the bomber detonated an explosive vest near the convoy of Diyala Governor Raad Rasheed in the provincial capital Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad. Rasheed was unharmed.

But, when it is all said and done, the violence in Diyala has been extremely minimal throughout the joint operation by Iraqi and U.S. troops with literally hundreds and hundreds of al Qaeda and al Qaeda-linked insurgents being captured. I , myself, had predicted a much bloodier operation in Diyala so I am very glad to have been wrong about that.

One thing to point out is that as the operation in Diyala continues, it will be interesting to keep an eye on the violence levels in Baghdad - a lot of the bombings in Baghdad are staged in Diyala so if the operation continues so sucessfully, one would surmise that attacks in Baghdad would continue to fall off.

Iraq governor survives attack, curfew imposed

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi authorities imposed a curfew on the capital of restive Diyala province on Tuesday after the governor survived a suicide bomb attack on his convoy.
Two people died and seven were wounded in the attack, when the bomber detonated an explosive vest near the convoy of Diyala Governor Raad Rasheed in the provincial capital Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad. Rasheed was unharmed.
Iraqiya state television said the curfew had been imposed on the centre of the city from noon on Tuesday until Wednesday morning.
The province has been the scene of a major two-week-old crackdown by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces against Sunni Arab al Qaeda militants, who frequently employ suicide bombing as a tactic.
As violence in Iraq has dropped to levels not seen since 2004, the ethnically mixed province is considered one of the last remaining sanctuaries al Qaeda.
Many recent attacks in the province have been carried out by female suicide bombers, a tactic used increasingly by al Qaeda this year. It was not immediately clear whether Tuesday's attacker was male or female.
Iraqi forces, backed by U.S. soldiers and helicopters, launched a crackdown late last month in Diyala, searching homes and detaining scores of people. The Iraqi government said on Monday it was calling a pause for a few days in the operation to allow militants to surrender.

Iraqi Forces In Diyala Operation Capture Three Women Suicide Bombers Before They Can Attack

I don't care what anyone says...this was a close call. Iraqi troops, involved in the huge military sweep of Diyala province, nabbed three women who were set to strap on suicide belts and attack those same Iraqi troops. Here's the details from Yahoo News:

Iraqi forces have arrested three women who were plotting suicide bombing missions against soldiers and police involved in a vast offensive against Al-Qaeda, officials said on Wednesday.

"Acting on information received, our forces uncovered three women in a house in Al-Saada who were preparing to carry out suicide attacks against our forces in the region," interior ministry spokesman General Abdel Karim Khalaf told AFP.

The good sign here is that obviously, some of the Iraqi people in Diyala province are feeling comfortable enough that al Qaeda has been subdued to the point where they can bring this information forward. That is the key, afterall. That is what happened in Anbar province when the Awakening Council started receiving tip after tip of where the al Qaeda jihadists were holed up.

A side note: Catch this number from the same article at Yahoo:

In all, Iraqi forces have netted 483 suspects since the start of the operation in the troubled central province of Diyala against Al-Qaeda and Shiite rebels which was launched in late July, an official said.

That, is awesome!

Iraq nets three women would-be bombers in anti-Qaeda sweep

BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) - Iraqi forces have arrested three women who were plotting suicide bombing missions against soldiers and police involved in a vast offensive against Al-Qaeda, officials said on Wednesday.

In all, Iraqi forces have netted 483 suspects since the start of the operation in the troubled central province of Diyala against Al-Qaeda and Shiite rebels which was launched in late July, an official said.
"Acting on information received, our forces uncovered three women in a house in Al-Saada who were preparing to carry out suicide attacks against our forces in the region," interior ministry spokesman General Abdel Karim Khalaf told AFP.
Al-Saada is just north of Baquba, the capital of the Diyala, a multi-ethnic province regarded now as the most dangerous regions of Iraq.
The number of attacks carried out by women bombers has dramatically increased in 2008, many of them carried out in Baquba.
A woman believed to have been responsible for recruiting female suicide bombers was among four Al-Qaeda-linked suspects arrested in Diyala at the weekend, according to the Iraqi military.
In one of the deadliest recent attacks believed to be perpetrated by women, three suicide bombers believed to be women blew themselves up among Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad last month, killing at least 25 and wounding around 75.
Defence ministry spokesman General Mohammed al-Askari said that among 483 suspects arrested, 26 were senior operatives in the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq who had organised attacks in Baquba and other areas.
He also said Iraqi forces had found the bodies of 16 people who had been shot dead and their hands tied, during house searches in Al-Qaeda strongholds in and around Baquba.

Great Progress Being Made In Diyala Operation - 265 al Qaeda Captured

The MSM has been totally silent on the operation ongoing in Diyala province in Iraq this past week because of course, it represents good news and success in the war against terror in Iraq. But the results are becoming better and better from the first five days of operation with the Iraqi forces capturing a total of 265 al Qaeda and al Qaeda-linked schmucks to date. Here's some details from AFP:

"Our forces have arrested 265 suspects so far during our operations in Diyala", Major General Mohammed al-Askari, spokesman for the defence ministry, told AFP.

Among those detained was Abu Anas al-Baghdadi, a top al-Qaeda operative in Diyala and four members of the so-called Council of Mujahedeen, one of many front groups for Al-Qaeda, according to interior ministry spokesman Abdelkarim Khalaf.

The other good news here has been the lack of serious hits against Iraqi Army or U.S. forces so far in the operation. I've stated before the importance of this operation in finally disabling any organized efforts by al Qaeda in Iraq. And it sure looks like that is going to happen.

Iraq says 265 arrested in anti-Qaeda offensive

BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) — Iraq said on Saturday that its military backed by US forces had arrested hundreds of suspects during an offensive aimed at stamping out Al-Qaeda in a restive central province.
"Our forces have arrested 265 suspects so far during our operations in Diyala", Major General Mohammed al-Askari, spokesman for the defence ministry, told AFP.
The raids have taken place throughout Diyala province where 50,000 Iraqi soldiers and police began a major push against insurgents on Tuesday to secure the volatile region.
"The operation is still on going successfully and is now in its fifth day," Askari said.
Among those detained was Abu Anas al-Baghdadi, a top al-Qaeda operative in Diyala and four members of the so-called Council of Mujahedeen, one of many front groups for Al-Qaeda, according to interior ministry spokesman Abdelkarim Khalaf.
Diyala, which has a long border with Iran, has been a centre of weapons smuggling and has suffered repeated suicide bombings, thought to be mostly orchestrated by Sunni Muslim Al-Qaeda operatives.
In the past few months the multi-ethnic region made up of Christians and Muslims has seen repeated efforts by the US and Iraqi militaries to drive out insurgents, both Sunni Al-Qaeda and various Shiite groups.

Diyala Operation Off To Great Start - 35 Al Qaeda Captured

So far, so good. The huge Diyala operation in Iraq started yesterday and already 35 al Qaeda operatives and linked partisans have been arrested. Here's some of the details from the article here at Yahoo News:

"Up to midday our forces detained 35 wanted for terrorism and others involved in crime, murder and setting of explosions," defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told AFP.
The operation involves Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by US troops, conducting searches for militiamen and illegal weapons in Diyala, which remains one of the most dangerous places in Iraq.

You can see here that the quote came from the Iraqi spokesman and so it is pretty clear that this operation is similar to the one in Mosul where the Iraqis took the lead and will probably be given the press on this. But don't be fooled - there are 10,000 U.S. troops involved in this, it is that big. And it's my guess that there will be considerable air support throughout this operation.

I don't have the link handy but there were also reports out that quite a few IED's were discovered in this initial phase of the operation, also.

It will be interesting to see if we see more of these "captures" as opposed to battle deaths - to see whether al Qaeda in Iraq is really willing to put their lives on the line for this final battle for Iraq.

Iraq nabs 35 in Al Qaeda crackdown

BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) - Iraq forces supported by US troops said on Wednesday they had arrested 35 suspects as a major crackdown on fighters in the Al-Qaeda bastion of Diyala province entered its second day.

"Up to midday our forces detained 35 wanted for terrorism and others involved in crime, murder and setting of explosions," defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told AFP.
The operation involves Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by US troops, conducting searches for militiamen and illegal weapons in Diyala, which remains one of the most dangerous places in Iraq.
Thousands of soldiers moved in on Tuesday, setting up a perimeter around the provincial capital city of Baquba, erecting extra police checkpoints to prevent non-residents from entering or leaving the area.
"Iraqi security forces are controlling the entry routes into Diyala to stop terrorists from escaping to other provinces," Askari said.
The US military said earlier this month that a force of 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and police would take part in the offensive, although Iraqi newspapers have said 56,000 are involved.
There has been no confirmation of the number from Iraqi officials.
The offensive follows similar Iraqi military operations in the southern provinces of Basra and Maysan, and the northern province of Nineveh, as Iraq forces try to shore-up recent security gains in the war-torn country.
Fed by the Euphrates and Diyala rivers, Diyala was once the granary of Iraq and the country's orange capital with its lush orchards, but its multi-ethnic population has proven one of the most dangerous to control.
In an interview with AFP last week, Colonel Ali al-Karkhi, commanding officer of Iraqi forces in Khan Beni Saad, said Diyala was "the most dangerous province in Iraq."
The province, which has a long border with Iran has been a centre of weapon smuggling, has suffered repeated suicide bombings, thought to be mostly orchestrated by Sunni Al-Qaeda operatives.

Iraqi Army Waits For Green Light For Diyala Operation

This could be one of the last major operations of the Iraqi War when Iraqi Army forces are given the go ahead to clear Diyala Province. Here are some of the details from Aswat Aliraq:

Iraqi security forces are awaiting the zero hour to be set by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to commence operations to track down gunmen in the restive province of Diala, an Interior Ministry official said on Sunday.
"The file regarding the security operations in Diala is now on the prime minister's table for a decision to give the go-ahead for well-prepared Iraqi security forces to do their job," Maj. General Abdelkareem Khalaf, the interior ministry's operations chief, said in a press conference he held in Baghdad on Sunday.

Not only are the forces of al Qaeda in Iraq a target in Diyala but other Sunni insurgent groups and a conglomeration of violent groups and individuals. Diyala province has been one of the toughest areas to clear - the U.S. has tried a couple of different major operations and has had success but the province has never returned to a restive area.

The local Awakenings in Diyala haven't had the same success here that has been seen in Al Anbar province with many Awakening members being victims of retaliatory attacks.

Interior Ministry says awaiting PM's go-ahead for Diala operations

BAGHDAD, July 13 (VOI) – Iraqi security forces are awaiting the zero hour to be set by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to commence operations to track down gunmen in the restive province of Diala, an Interior Ministry official said on Sunday.
"The file regarding the security operations in Diala is now on the prime minister's table for a decision to give the go-ahead for well-prepared Iraqi security forces to do their job," Maj. General Abdelkareem Khalaf, the interior ministry's operations chief, said in a press conference he held in Baghdad on Sunday.
Khalaf pointed out that Diala is one of four provinces where crime and violence rates remain high, adding that the three other provinces are Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk.
"Diala is witnessing an increase in organized and non-organized crime rates on a daily basis, whether on the level of al-Qaeda network or other criminal rings," he said.
Replying to a question by Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI) on the date planned to launch this security operation in Diala, Khalaf said it would be during the next few days.
More than a government official had said that the Diala operation became imminent after unbridled violence grew there.
Last June, Maliki, during a meeting with notables in the province of Missan, said the next stop would be in Diala, in reference to launching wide-scale military operations in the manner of Bashaer al-Salam (Promise of Peace) in Missan, Umm al-Rabiain (Mother of Two Springs) in Mosul and Saulat al-Forsan (Knights' Assault) in Basra.
A senior security official in Diala who asked not to be named had told VOI on Friday that military reinforcements arrived in Diala from the Iraqi capital Baghdad in preparations for launching a military operation in Diala to manhunt gunmen and impose order and law all over the province.
Diala province extends to the northeast of Baghdad as far as the Iranian border. Its capital is Baaquba, 57 km northeast of Baghdad. It covers an area of 17,685 square kilometers (6,828 sq mi).