30 Dead in Mosque Bombings, Other Violence


Civil War violence left at least 30 dead in Iraq on Friday, says AFP. It writes,

'In Baghdad, where a massive security crackdown is on since last month, at least seven worshippers were killed after Friday prayers in a bombing outside a Sunni mosque, a security official said. Five people were also wounded in the bomb attack against the Ismail al-Qubaisy mosque in Al-Qahira, a mixed neighbourhood that lies between the Sunni stronghold of Adhamiyah and the Shiite radical bastion of Sadr City. '

The mosque bombings are extremely worrisome, since they attest to an ongoing faith-based conflict that has been growing in intensity.

South of Kirkuk, guerrillas ambushed and killed 13 Iraqi soldiers. There were also several violent incidents in Mosul and in the troubled province of Diyala.

AP reports that the Iraqi military is having trouble retaining Sunni Arab troops.

Iraqi preachers and politicians on Friday condemned Israeli operations against Gaza and Lebanon.

Sadr al-Din al-Qubanji of Najaf said, ' "What Israel is doing is unacceptable and unjustified . . ." ' Al-Qubanji is a member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

Young Shiite nationalist clerical leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, called 'on Iraqis to stand behind Lebanon to fight a "common enemy", Israel. ' Several thousand protesters rallied in Sadr City (East Baghdad).