AL-QAEDA IN Iraq has confirmed the deaths of two top leaders in a US airstrike last weekend.
In a statement on fundamentalist websites, al-Qaeda said Abu Ayub al-Masri, its senior commander, and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, head of the Islamic State of Iraq group of militant factions, were attacked by US and Iraqi forces at a meeting in central Iraq.
“We announce that the Muslim nation has lost two leaders of jihad,” the communiqué said, adding: “The war is still ongoing, and the favourable outcome will be for the pious.”
Initial retaliation for the killings came on Friday with a dozen co-ordinated attacks that killed at least 72 people in Shia neighbourhoods of Baghdad and the western town of Ramadi. The greatest number of casualties were in Sadr City, the vast Shia suburb in the capital where the movement loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has its stronghold. Bombers struck as worshippers were leaving communal prayers in mosques and shopping at street markets.
In response to the attacks, Mr Sadr vowed to deploy members of his Mahdi Army militia, stood down since 2008, to protect Shia mosques and civilians. This raised fears among Sunnis that the militia, which was responsible for mass killings and sectarian cleansing during 2006-2007, would be unleashed on Sunni quarters if there were further attacks on Shia targets.
However, Mr Sadr clarified his position by saying he would place his fighters under the command of the Iraqi army or police. He observed that the government might reject the offer, “but we will be ready always”.
While the government reacted coldly to the idea, Mr Sadr could come under increasing pressure from followers who have laid blame on Iraq’s official security forces for failing to halt bloody attacks on Shia sites.
Similarly, Sunni Awakening Council gunmen could be compelled to resume patrols in Sunni areas to prevent the entry of bombers determined to promote sectarian violence and undermine security ahead of the phased withdrawal of US combat troops, set to conclude by the end of August.
