BAGHDAD — The top U.S. commander in northern Iraq warned Wednesday that al-Qaida in Iraq was still capable of staging spectacular attacks despite a 50 percent drop in bombings and other violence in his region.
Army Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling said al-Qaida in Iraq was being pushed north by the increased numbers of U.S. troops that surged into Baghdad over the summer and fall. The insurgents are also being flushed out of Anbar province by “awakening councils” — groups of Sunni Arab tribesmen the U.S. military has backed to help fight al-Qaida in Iraq and its allies.
“Many of them have transited our province” of Diyala, which has seen some of the worst violence in Iraq, he said. “There are still some very bad things happening in that province, but we are continuing to pursue al-Qaida so they don’t find a safe haven anywhere.”
He said al-Qaida extremists could still carry out attacks against infrastructure projects such as bridges.
“You know, there are going to be continued spectacular attacks,” he said when asked about the bombing of a bridge across Mosul dam on Monday.
The attack, carried out with a truck bomb, closed the bridge to vehicle traffic and may have been an attempt by insurgents to bring down the dam. It may also have been an effort by insurgents to create a temporary safe haven on one of its banks.
Violence in Iraq has abated in recent months and the U.S. military has said it has dropped by as much as 60 to 70 percent in some places. In Baghdad, only one bullet-riddled body was found washed up along the Tigris river on Wednesday, while another man was killed by a roadside bomb.
The lull may have been a result of the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday for Sunnis in Iraq. Shiites, who also celebrate the day, are expected to mark Eid on Friday.
Eid al-Adha commemorates the prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for God. According to Muslim tradition, after Abraham expresses his willingness, God sends the prophet two sheep instead for slaughter.
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