Bodies found north of Baghdad as Sunni

insurgents turn on each other

BY ISRA' AL-RUBEI'I AND MAGGIE FICK
BAGHDAD Mon Jul 14,
(Reuters) - Residents of a town north of Baghdad found 12 corpses with execution-style bullet
wounds on Monday, after fighting between rival unni insurgent groups that could eventually
unravel the coalition that sei!ed "uch of the north and west of the country#
$he incident points to an intensification of infighting between the %sla"ic tate and other unni
groups, such as supporters of for"er dictator adda" &ussein, which rallied behind the al
'aeda offshoot last "onth because of shared hatred for the hi(ite-led govern"ent in Baghdad#
)olice in Mu*dadiya, a town +, -" (., "iles) northeast of the capital, said residents fro" the
nearby town of aadiya found the 12 corpses on Monday after intense fighting overnight
between %sla"ic tate fighters and the /a*shbandi 0r"y, a group led by adda" allies#
ince the %sla"ic tate swept through %ra*i cities and proclai"ed its leader caliph of all
Musli"s last "onth, there have been increasing signs of conflict with other unni groups who
do not necessarily share the al 'aeda offshoot(s re1ection of %ra*(s borders or its severe
interpretation of %sla"#
2ashington, which recruited other unni fighters to defeat al 'aeda during the 3## surge
offensive in 2,,4-2,,5, hopes other unnis will again turn against the %sla"ic tate and can be
lured bac- into a power-sharing govern"ent in Baghdad#
$he 2hite &ouse has pressed for an inclusive govern"ent in Baghdad, but so far hi(ite )ri"e
Minister /uri al-Mali-i has ignored calls fro" unnis and 6urds to step down in favour of a
less polarising figure who would allow unnis a greater voice#
aadiya, a "ostly unni town, was overrun by %sla"ic tate "ilitants on 7une 1,, the sa"e day
the city of Mosul fell to the insurgents# %t is located in 8iyala, a "ainly rural province north of
Baghdad where lush irrigated fields have long sheltered ar"ed groups that resent the arrival of
outsiders#
Residents say the town is a stronghold of /a*shbandi 0r"y fighters who supported the %sla"ic
tate when it first swept into the area, but have since clashed with the group#
0 doctor in the Ba*uba "orgue, where the corpses were ta-en, said the "en all bore bullet
wounds to their heads and chest, though there was no sign of torture# &e said the "en had been
dead no "ore than 29 hours#
$he people who found the bodies said the "en were /a*shbandi fighters in their 2,s and :,s,
and bla"ed the %sla"ic tate for the execution-style -illings# $he aadiya residents brought the
corpses to police in Mu*dadiya because the police in their town fled on 7une 1, when the
insurgents swept in#
;ocal govern"ent official 0h"ad al-<arghosi, who also fled, told Reuters that he esti"ated =,
percent of the town had fled north# <arghosi, spea-ing fro" the town of 6hana*in, said
fighting had been raging for a wee- between /a*shbandi locals and the %sla"ic tate "ilitants#
$hough locals said the /a*shbandi 0r"y en1oys strong support in aadiya, the %sla"ist
"ilitants are far better e*uipped# $hey have been seen with heavy weapons and "ilitary
vehicles including &u"vees in towns they sei!ed last "onth, e*uip"ent apparently ta-en fro"
the ar"y which received billions of dollars worth of 3## hardware in recent years#
%nfighting between unni insurgents could doo" their bid to reach Baghdad, as well as
prospects for consolidating control under the %sla"ic tate(s blac- flag in regions they have
ta-en#
$hough the %sla"ic tate, then -nown as the %sla"ic tate in %ra* and the ;evant (%%;),
spearheaded last "onth(s offensive, it relied on support fro" fellow unnis eager to drive out
forces loyal to Mali-i(s hi(ite-led govern"ent#
0 -ey ally for %%; was the /a*shbandi 0r"y, believed to be led by >!!at %brahi" al-8ouri,
adda"(s for"er deputy and the only top "e"ber of the dictator(s entourage still at large since
the 2,,: 3##-led invasion that toppled hi"#
0n audio recording of 8ouri(s voice surfaced on a website loyal to adda"(s ousted Baath
)arty on aturday night with a "essage heaping praise on the al 'aeda offshoot, although
apparently ac-nowledging divisions a"ong insurgent ran-s# $he authenticity of the recording
cannot be verified#
%ra*(s national ar"y and allied h(ite "ilitias have been fighting the %sla"ic tate for days over
a "ilitary base next to Mu*dadiya and trading control of nearby town of adur, which Mali-i(s
"ilitary spo-es"an said unday the ar"y had reta-en#
0880M->R0 ?@;@/>; 6%;;>8
$he spo-es"an, ;ieutenant Aeneral 'assi" 0tta, said on unday the ar"y had also sei!ed
bac- the nearby village of /awfal after days of fighting#
%n that village, /as*hbandi fighters and the %sla"ic tate are still fighting together against
govern"ent forces# even /a*shbandi "e"bers were -illed on Monday during a battle against
govern"ent forces and hi(ite "ilitias, police said#
$he dead included adda"-era ar"y colonel &ussein al-Mehdawi, who was fighting alongside
the %sla"ic tate, and six of his relatives#
>lsewhere in 8iyala province, police in the provincial capital Ba*uba reported 12 -idnappings
overnight# 8etails were not i""ediately clear# $he "ostly unni city was the site of a "ass
-illing at a 1ail last "onth that victi"s( fa"ilies bla"ed on govern"ent forces and allied hi(ite
"ilitias#
$hough the front line has yet to reach Baghdad, fre*uent bo"b attac-s are stri-ing the capital#
$hree separate explosions occurred before nightfall on Monday, -illing at least eight people
and wounding "ore than 2,#
(0dditional reporting by 6aree" Rahee" in BaghdadB >diting by 8o"inic >vans and )eter
Araff)