Baghdad, Iraq – U.S. troops stormed Tuesday into an insurgent-controlled area of a turbulent province where police reported that gunmen – some wearing military clothing – had massacred 29 Shiite villagers the night before.
The fighting escalated north of Baghdad as America’s top general said parts of Iraq are undergoing a “sea change” in security, notably Ramadi where Sunni tribes have turned against al-Qaeda in Iraq. Attacks against U.S. forces in that city have dropped dramatically.
But some areas’ success is tempered by violence elsewhere.
American soldiers backed by tanks, helicopters and at least one F-16 fighter jet rolled into the eastern part of Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province.
Gunfire could be heard in the main market district, and Sunni imams in four mosques used loudspeakers to call on their followers to fight the Americans, residents said by phone.
U.S. and Iraqi forces seized the western part of Baqubah last month and had been expected to mount a major offensive to drive al-Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgents from the rest of the city, 35 miles north of Baghdad. The Islamic State of Iraq, a front group for al-Qaeda in Iraq, has declared Baqubah as its capital.
Sunni extremists were believed to be moving out of Baqubah in anticipation of a U.S. attack, seeking shelter with friendly tribes to the north and east.
Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hailed the progress achieved in Ramadi, where violence was once commonplace.
“It’s no longer a matter of pushing al-Qaeda out of Ramadi, for example, but rather – now that they have been pushed out – helping the local police and the local army have a chance to get their feet on the ground and set up their systems,” Pace said.
Pace’s assessment drew skepticism from several private American security analysts, who questioned whether supporting Sunni tribes would set the stage for conflict with the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government.
