First off, just a quick word as to sources. I was only able to find this on one news network, CNN. The other places I found the story were small time sources, but they were just reprints of the CNN story. I'll continue looking and update if/when other major media outlets break the story.
Early this morning, several gunmen (believed to be liked to al-Qaeda)attacked a checkpoint, manned by Awakening Council members, in Diyala province in Iraq. The attack killed 6 checkpoint members.
Upon hearing about the attacks, the Awakening Council leader Ali Qader Ameen went to the checkpoint, as reported by local law enforcement. However, before they arrived, their transportation was hit by a roadside IED, killing Ameen and another occupant and wounding the other.
This attack comes just one day after terrorists targeted other security force sites. The Awaking Council is comprised mainly of ex al-Qaeda Sunni Muslim warriors, and is credited with having a large role in decreasing violence in Iraq over the last two years.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/08/26/iraq.violence/index.html
Showing posts with label shootings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shootings. Show all posts
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
al-Shabab
Within the past few days, the name al-Shabab (حركة الشباب المجاهدين; Ḥarakat ash-Shabāb al-Mujāhidīn, "Movement of Warrior Youth" or simply الشباب, "The Youth" or "The Lads") has been popping up in the news.
The first, and most recent, case is the attacks on the capital city Mogadishu, in Somalia. Just yesterday; two members of this Islamist terror group, dressed as government security personnel, succeeded in bypassing security forces and began mass shootings in the Muna Hotel, a site which is well known to regularly host Somali government officials, before detonating bombs strapped to their bodies. I was unable to discern a time for the attack, but Aljazeera broke the story (found here) at 1442 GMT, and TIME reports it was early morning. Some of the figures were also sketchy, but from what I could find, the death toll ranges between thirty and forty, six or eight of whom were members of Parliament.
This comes the day after al-Shabab declared a "massive, final" war against what they call "invaders". Also on Monday, al-Shabab perpetuated several attacks on military barracks in multiple districts of the city. According to Somali government security officer Colonel Mohammed Omar, "Government forces are inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy....We have killed more than fifteen of their fighters."
This is not the first time al-Shabab's name has appeared in the headlines, and it certainly is not the last. I'm sure I will be filing many more reports under there name.
Sources:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/08/201082464449278785.html
http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/major-rebel-attack-in-somalia/
http://allafrica.com/stories/201008240797.html
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2013649,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Shabaab#2010
The first, and most recent, case is the attacks on the capital city Mogadishu, in Somalia. Just yesterday; two members of this Islamist terror group, dressed as government security personnel, succeeded in bypassing security forces and began mass shootings in the Muna Hotel, a site which is well known to regularly host Somali government officials, before detonating bombs strapped to their bodies. I was unable to discern a time for the attack, but Aljazeera broke the story (found here) at 1442 GMT, and TIME reports it was early morning. Some of the figures were also sketchy, but from what I could find, the death toll ranges between thirty and forty, six or eight of whom were members of Parliament.
This comes the day after al-Shabab declared a "massive, final" war against what they call "invaders". Also on Monday, al-Shabab perpetuated several attacks on military barracks in multiple districts of the city. According to Somali government security officer Colonel Mohammed Omar, "Government forces are inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy....We have killed more than fifteen of their fighters."
This is not the first time al-Shabab's name has appeared in the headlines, and it certainly is not the last. I'm sure I will be filing many more reports under there name.
Sources:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/08/201082464449278785.html
http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/major-rebel-attack-in-somalia/
http://allafrica.com/stories/201008240797.html
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2013649,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Shabaab#2010
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