At least 22 dead in Iraqi violence (1st Lead)

May 14, 2007, 12:07 GMT

Baghdad - At least 22 people were killed and another 25 wounded in ongoing violence hitting the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Baquba on Monday.

In Baghdad's southern al-Zafaraniyah district an explosive charge detonated near a police patrol, killing two Iraqis and wounding 14 others. Among the wounded were a number of police officers.

Iraqi police sources also said that another bomb explosion struck a US army patrol, killing three servicemen and destroying a Hummer- type vehicle.

The US military could not be reached for comment.

Earlier in Baghdad, around 13 Iraqis were killed and four wounded when two car bombs detonated in separate areas of the city, authorities said.

In one incident, 12 people lost their lives when a car bomb parked in a garage on al-Karada district blew up creating the blast that additionally wounded four people and damaged nearby cars and buildings.

In the second incident, an Iraqi was killed and three wounded in Palestine Street, in the capital's east.

Violence continued on Monday in Baquba, the capital of Iraq's north-eastern Diyala province, leaving at least four people dead and four others wounded after a deadly attack on a police station, police sources said.

According to authorities, a group of armed men stormed a local police station killing three police officers and a civilian, and wounding four other people.

The police source said the gunmen fled as members of the Iraqi army responded.

On Saturday the Iraqi parliament demanded answers from Premier Nuri al-Maliki and his senior security officials over the continued bloodshed in Baquba, 60 kilometres north-east of Baghdad, and Diyala province.

According to local observers, Diyala province is infested with insurgent and terrorist elements who fled nearby Baghdad and the Fard al-Qanoun security plan that has been in effect there since February 14.

The province has been a target for the previously unknown Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaeda-affilated group who have emerged recently and who a day earlier claimed responsibility for kidnapping three US soldiers from the southern Iraqi town of Mahmudiya.

Local newspaper reports Monday said around 280 local tribal leaders and military experts have joined the so-called Rescue Council of Baquba to fight this group.

In press statements, Sheikh Awwad al-Rabeiy, the head of the council, said the aim was to face the 'catastrophe' that Sunni- dominated Baquba is facing and 'put an end to the violations of armed groups belonging to the so-called Islamic State of Iraq.'

On Sunday, Premier Nuri al-Maliki said that a plan to create a joint operation room to control Diyala was in effect.

He added that the security forces had been beefed up, and more officers were assigned to the province.

Separately, the US-led coalition in Iraq issued a statement Monday saying that their forces detained 11 suspected militants during several morning raids.

The operations had targeted foreign fighters with alleged ties to al-Qaeda in Baghdad, Ramadi, Hit and the town of Karmah, near Fallujah.