50 Iraqis killed as they celebrate football victory (Roundup)

Jul 26, 2007, 13:59 GMT

Baghdad - Iraq's Vice President Thursday called on officials in charge of the Baghdad security plan to explain the killing of 50 Iraqis celebrating the victory of their national football team in Baghdad, independent news agency Voices of Iraq reported.

Two car bombs exploded in the Iraqi capital Baghdad's Mansour neighbourhood Wednesday evening killing 50 civilians and injuring 153 others who were in the streets celebrating Iraq's national football team reaching the finals of the Asian Nations Cup.

Tareq al-Hashemi said the killings were the result of a 'security breach.'

'Those in charge of the Baghdad security plan should provide prompt and clear explanation for what happened,' he said. 'Why are they silent on these crimes as if the matter does not concern them?'

An Iraqi police source said Thursday that five Iraqi policeman from the emergency police forces were killed and two others injured when an explosive charge targeted their patrol in southern Hillah, 100 kilometres south of Baghdad.

Six US soldiers have been killed in an operation conducted by joint Iraqi-US forces in the northern Baghdad neighbourhood of Husainiya, independent news agency Voices of Iraq reported Thursday, citing a spokesman for the Fardh al-Qanoun - Law Enforcement - security plan.

The spokesman added the US forces had lifted the siege it had imposed on Husainiya.

Fardh al-Qanoun security operation commander Aboud Qanbar told reporters in Baghdad Thursday that 'the reasons behind the security crackdown in Husainiya were the militants' acts of closing roads, planting explosive charges and preventing security forces from entering the area.'

Joint US-Iraqi forces raided the predominantly-Shiite district of Husainiya in north-eastern Baghdad late Friday.While the US military said Saturday that six militants had been killed during an airstrike on the Shiite stronghold, local residents said that 18 civilians had been killed in the attack and that three houses had been destroyed.

Hundreds of angry Husainiya residents have been demonstrating in the streets this week protesting against the siege imposed on the district following the raid.

Other protests in Baghdad's Shiite Sadr City also broke out calling for the lifting of the security cordon on Husainiya.

Also Thursday, US-led coalition forces detained 36 terrorist suspects during operations in central and northern Iraq targeting the al-Qaeda in Iraq network, the US military in Iraq reported.