Suicide bomber kills Iraqi army recruits
Last Update: Wednesday, September 28, 2005. 8:50pm (AEST)
A female suicide bomber has blown herself up outside an army recruitment centre in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar, killing at least seven and wounding 37.
The recruitment centre was housed in a former US military base.
It had only opened on Wednesday (local time) following a joint Iraqi-US military operation which US forces said had effectively rid Tal Afar of what they called "terrorists and foreign fighters".
"A suicide bomber blew herself up in front of the recruitment centre. This centre was supposed to be open today for volunteers," Iraqi general Nejam Abdullah said.
Many people were waiting at the scene to sign up to join the army.
The bombing came a day after the US military said it had killed the man it called the number two figure in Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Abu Azzam was deputy to the organisation's leader and Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the US military said, although Al Qaeda ridiculed this claim in an Internet statement.
The US military called his death a serious blow to the militant group at the heart of Iraq's insurgency. But suicide bombings have continued since his death.
Wednesday's attack mirrored a suicide bombing of a recruitment centre in Baquba, 65 kilometres north of Baghdad, on Tuesday. At least 10 died in that blast, with around 30 wounded.
Iraqi and US troops recently ended a joint military operation in Tal Afar, which they say has long been a stronghold of insurgents.
The US military says during the operation it killed or captured over 500 people whom it calls "terrorists or foreign fighters".
They hailed the full-scale assault on the town as a success and said they had brought Tal Afar back under their control.
But previous military operations against insurgency strongholds have not led to peace.
-Reuters
Link Here
A female suicide bomber has blown herself up outside an army recruitment centre in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar, killing at least seven and wounding 37.
The recruitment centre was housed in a former US military base.
It had only opened on Wednesday (local time) following a joint Iraqi-US military operation which US forces said had effectively rid Tal Afar of what they called "terrorists and foreign fighters".
"A suicide bomber blew herself up in front of the recruitment centre. This centre was supposed to be open today for volunteers," Iraqi general Nejam Abdullah said.
Many people were waiting at the scene to sign up to join the army.
The bombing came a day after the US military said it had killed the man it called the number two figure in Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Abu Azzam was deputy to the organisation's leader and Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the US military said, although Al Qaeda ridiculed this claim in an Internet statement.
The US military called his death a serious blow to the militant group at the heart of Iraq's insurgency. But suicide bombings have continued since his death.
Wednesday's attack mirrored a suicide bombing of a recruitment centre in Baquba, 65 kilometres north of Baghdad, on Tuesday. At least 10 died in that blast, with around 30 wounded.
Iraqi and US troops recently ended a joint military operation in Tal Afar, which they say has long been a stronghold of insurgents.
The US military says during the operation it killed or captured over 500 people whom it calls "terrorists or foreign fighters".
They hailed the full-scale assault on the town as a success and said they had brought Tal Afar back under their control.
But previous military operations against insurgency strongholds have not led to peace.
-Reuters
Link Here
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 6:22 AM
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