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Iraq
Insurgents Storm Iraqi Jail, 28 Killed
2006-03-21
This isn't good. It's been a while since the bad guys have pulled off this large an operation; it would be very interesting to know just who was sprung.

Insurgents Storm Iraqi Jail, 28 Killed
By VANESSA ARRINGTON, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents stormed a jail about dawn Tuesday in the Sunni Muslim heartland north of Baghdad, killing at least 17 policemen and a courthouse guard. Authorities said all 33 prisoners in the lockup were freed and 10 attackers were killed in the battle.

As many as 100 insurgent fighters — armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades — stormed the judicial compound in Muqdadiyah, about 60 miles northeast of the capital. The assault began after the attackers fired a mortar round into the police and court complex, said police Brig. Ali al-Jabouri.

After torching the police station, the insurgents detonated a string of roadside bombs as they fled, taking the bodies of many of their dead comrades with them, police said. At least 13 policemen and civilians and 15 gunmen were wounded in the attack.
Posted by:Glenmore

#4  A surprisingly reasonable and informative report from al Reuters.



....
"The governor of Diyala province, which has a volatile ethnic and sectarian mix and has seen many al Qaeda attacks in recent months, had the police commander and other officers arrested.

"He suspected them of complicity in the dawn raid, which police said involved about 100 fighters, probably from al Qaeda.

....
"Police said investigations were being hampered because the gunmen seized radio equipment, making the police radio network insecure and unusable.

"The area has seen several such large-scale assaults on police and army posts, apparently by al Qaeda-linked insurgents defying Iraq's new U.S.-trained security forces.

"Iraqi intelligence officials have said they believe the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, may be now be in Diyala.
Posted by: Glenmore   2006-03-21 18:35  

#3  Its not a provincial capital, IIUC, but its big enough to have a lockup, courthouse etc. Bigger than a village.

In any case insurgents operating in a group this big, and pulling off a raid is NOT good. Sure its the sticks - a lot of the Sunni triangle is "the sticks".
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-03-21 09:39  

#2  Sounds like it's in the sticks. An unpacified area maybe. Needed a little someting to keep the headlines negative.
Posted by: 6   2006-03-21 09:35  

#1  seeing as it was a provincial lock up, I doubt they freed anyone important. But I agree, its not good.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-03-21 09:34  

00:01