BAGHDAD – Suspected Sunni insurgents penetrated the Baghdad security net Wednesday, hitting Shiite targets with four bomb attacks that killed 183 people – the bloodiest day since the U.S. troop increase began nine weeks ago.
The most devastating blast struck the Sadriyah market as workers were leaving for the day, charring a lineup of minibuses that came to pick them up. At least 127 people were killed and 148 wounded, including men who were rebuilding the market after a Feb. 3 bombing left 137 dead.
Wednesday’s car bombing appeared meticulously planned. It took place at a pedestrian entrance where tall concrete barriers had been erected after the earlier attack. It was the only way out of the compound, and the construction workers were widely known to leave at about 4 p.m. – the time of the bombing.
U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said al-Qaida in Iraq was suspected in the bombing. “Initial indications based on intelligence sources show that it was linked to al-Qaida,” Caldwell said.
The attacks appeared to be yet another attempt by Sunni insurgents and al-Qaida to force Shiite militiamen back onto the streets. Anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr had ordered his Mahdi Army fighters to put away their weapons and go underground before the security crackdown began, leaving regions like those bombed Wednesday highly vulnerable.
An outburst of violence from the Shiite militia would also ease pressure on the Sunni insurgents, creating a second front for U.S. and Iraqi soldiers struggling to diminish violence in the capital and provide time for the Iraqi government to gather momentum for sectarian reconciliation.
U.S. officials have reported a decrease in sectarian killings in Baghdad since the U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown was launched Feb. 14. But the past week has seen several spectacular attacks in the capital, including a suicide bombing inside parliament and a powerful blast that collapsed a landmark bridge across the Tigris River. The number of bodies dumped in the streets of Baghdad also has risen significantly.
Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the Iraqi military spokesman, said, “We have not seen such a wave of attacks since the security plan began. These are terrorist challenges. Ninety-five percent of those killed today were civilians.”
Late Wednesday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered the arrest of the Iraqi army colonel who was in charge of security in the region around the Sadriyah market. The colonel’s name was not given.
“Our Iraqi people are being subjected to a brutal attack that does not differentiate between an old man, a child or a woman. This targeting of civilian populations brings back to our minds the mass crimes and genocide committed by the Saddamist dictatorial regime,” said a statement from al-Maliki’s office.
Nationwide, the number of people killed or found dead was 233, which was second only to a total of 281 killed or found dead on Nov. 23, 2006.
U.S. military deaths
The latest deaths reported by the U.S. military of personnel killed in Iraq:
Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Santee, 21, Mission Viejo, Calif.; died Saturday in a vehicle accident in Anbar province; assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Army Sgt. Larry Bowman, 29, Granite Falls, N.C.; died Friday in Baghdad after his vehicle struck an explosive; assigned to the 513th Transportation Company, 57th Transportation Battalion, 593rd Corps Support Group, Fort Lewis.
Army Pfc. John Borbonus, 19, Boise, Idaho; and Army Cpl. Cody Putnam, 22, Lafayette, Ind.; killed April 12 by an explosive in Baghdad; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Army Spc. Ryan Bishop, 32, Euless, Texas; died Saturday in Baghdad of wounds sustained from an explosive; assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
Marine 1st Lt. Shaun Blue, 25, Munster, Ind.; and Marine Lance Cpl. Jesse Delatorre, 29, Aurora, Ill.; died Monday of wounds sustained in Anbar province; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Scherry, 20, Rocky River, Ohio; died Monday in a accident in Anbar province; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Army Pfc. Lucas Starcevich, 25, St. Charles, Ill.; died Monday in Baghdad when an explosive struck his vehicle; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.
Army Sgt. Joshua Schmit, 26, Willmar, Minn.; and Army Sgt. Brandon Wallace, 27, St. Louis, Mo.; killed Saturday when an explosive struck his vehicle in Fallujah; assigned to the 1451st Transportation Company, 13th Support Command, Iraq.
Army Pfc. Aaron Genevie, 22, Chambersburg, Pa.; killed Monday in Baghdad when his vehicle struck an explosive; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Army Pfc. Steven Walberg, 18, Paradise, Calif.; killed Sunday in Baghdad by small-arms fire; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
Army Sgt. Mario De Leon, 26, San Francisco; killed Monday in Baghdad by small-arms fire; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.
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