IRAQ:Bombs killed at least 34 people in Baghdad yesterday but Iraq's prime minister vowed a crackdown in the capital would leave militants nowhere to hide.
In a speech to parliament, Nuri al-Maliki urged politicians on all sides to support his security plan, backed by 17,000 US reinforcements and seen by many as a last chance to halt sectarian violence in the capital.
"There will be no safe haven - no school, no home, no [ Sunni] mosque or Shia mosque. They will all be raided if they are turned into a launch pad for terrorism, even the headquarters of political parties," he said.
Mr Maliki said his determination had already borne fruit.
"I know that senior criminals have left Baghdad, others have fled the country. This is good, this shows that our message is being taken seriously," he said.
Some fear that militants may simply avoid confrontation in the crackdown, betting that eventually US troops will leave.
"There is a . . . concern they might be lying low, avoiding conflict now in order to fight another day," said US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on Wednesday.
Criticised for not doing enough about Shia militias linked to some of his allies, Mr Maliki has vowed to take on armed groups regardless of sect or political affiliation. "We have worked hard to get professional officers to lead this plan, with no political affiliations. So let's all help these officers," he said to criticism that the army and police were infiltrated by sectarian militias.
Since Mr Maliki announced his plan earlier this month there have been a series of bombings and dozens of bodies continue to be found dumped in the city, apparent victims of death squads. Thirty-three were found on Wednesday alone.
A car bomb ripped through a shopping district in Karrada in central Baghdad yesterday, killing 26 people and wounding 64. Another car bomb and a motorcycle bomb exploded in other markets, killing five people, while a roadside bomb killed three, police said.