Baghdad - US-led coalition forces announced Friday they
killed eight terrorist suspects during a raid targeting the al-Qaeda
terrorist network in Iraq operating in the Salman Pak region,
south-east of Baghdad.
Intelligence reports indicated a significant number of individuals
involved with al-Qaeda operating in the area where Thursday's raid
took place, the military said.
A US marine was killed Wednesday in Anbar province, west of
Baghdad, the US military said Friday.
Meanwhile, the Sunni Islamic State of Iraq movement claimed Friday
it has abducted 18 Iraqi Interior Ministry employees in Diyali in
retaliation of the alleged rape of a Sunni woman by members of the
Shiite-dominated police forces, an Iraqi police source said.
It is believed the hostages include 14 Iraqi policemen, the source
added. The claim by the militant group, which is linked to the
al-Qaeda terrorist network in Iraq, was posted on a website along
with pictures showing Iraqi men wearing official security uniforms.
The online statement said: 'God has enabled the Islamic State of
Iraq's lions to arrest 18 interior ministry members in Diyali (north
of Baghdad). This sacred operation came as a response to fighting
Sunnis, the last of which was the rape of our sister Sabrine
al-Janabi.
The Islamic State of Iraq called for turning in of the three
policemen who allegedly raped al-Janabi as well as the release of all
women detained in Iraqi prisons in return for releasing the hostages
giving the Iraqi government only 24 hours to carry out these
requests.
The 20-year-old al-Janabi appeared on pan-Arab news channel
al-Jazeera accusing three Iraqi police officers Monday of raping her
after storming her house in western Baghdad while her husband was
away.
She said the police accused her of cooking for the insurgents and
took her to a police station, where they raped her.
The woman did not specify that her attackers were Shiite Muslims
who form the majority within the ranks of Baghdad police, especially
senior commando units.
Sunni and Shiite officials were divided over their reactions to
the woman's allegations. Just a few hours after the interview was
broadcast, Shiite government officials described the account as a
fabrication.
A report released by the Ibn Sina hospital where the investigation
was conducted meanwhile said no physical traces of rape were
discovered on the body of the woman.
However Omar al-Jabouri, human rights advisor to the Iraqi vice-
president, claimed to have received a medical report from the
hospital confirming the rape. The report was given to an Iraqi
medical committee for examination.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
USA
Your Talkback on this Story