BAGHDAD — Iranian-sponsored Shi'ites have launched an offensive in
Iraq.
Fighters from the Iran-backed Mahdi Army have attacked Sunni insurgents and both Iraqi and
U.S. forces over the weekend in Baghdad. Shi'ite insurgents also struck the
southern city of Basra.
The Shi'ite battles came a day after U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. George
Casey, accused Iran of being a leading source of instability in Iraq. Casey
said Teheran has provided improvised explosive devices, technology, weapons
and training to Shi'ite militias, Middle East Newsline reported.
In Baghdad, Mahdi Army operatives fought a gunbattle with Sunni
insurgents in Haifa Street, a longtime stronghold of Saddam Hussein
loyalists. Iraqi and U.S. forces rushed to the scene and were attacked as
well.
Later, the fighting escalated as insurgents launched mortars. Five Iraq
Army soldiers and three police officers were injured.
On June 23, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, scheduled to release
his national reconciliation plan, imposed a curfew on Baghdad in an effort
to quell the violence. Officials said the curfew would be extended
indefinitely until calm was restored to the capital.
In Basra, at least five people were killed in an explosion at a
gasoline station. All of the casualties were reported to have been
civilians.
Officials said the weekend battle stemmed from the increasing power of
Iraqi militias. On Saturday, U.S. forces arrested in Baghdad a Sunni
religious leader, Jamal Eddin Abdul Karim Al Dabban.
"The sheik represents an Islamic and national symbol and these
violations could cause the security situation to deteriorate," the Iraqi
Islamic Party said in a statement.