Coalition rolls up 100-woman suicide cell in raid of Iraq safe house
BAGHDAD — Iraq has captured an Al Qaida-aligned cell that recruited
and deployed women for suicide operations.
On March 1, Iraqi and U.S. troops raided a suspected Al Qaida safe house
in Al Makhesa, in northeastern Diyala. Officials said scores of suspected
women operatives recruited as suicide bombers were arrested.
The women suicide cell was said to have consisted of 100 operatives.
Officials said Al Qaida has increased its use of women for suicide
operations.
The women cell was said to have operated in the Diyala province.
Officials said some of the women were recruited by their husbands for
suicide operations against Iraqi and U.S. forces.
The U.S. military also detained the commander of the women suicide cell.
Officials said the male commander was based in Ghalibiya in western Diyala.
U.S. military commander Gen. David Petraeus reported a slight increase
in suicide-vest attacks in Iraq. He said the suicide vests were being handed
to women, regarded as being more capable of reaching their targets than car
bombs.
"We are going after Al Qaida relentlessly wherever they are, and
wherever we can find them, we put our teeth into their jugular," Petraeus
said on March 2.
